Egyptian, Sri Lankan foreign ministers commend bilateral ties progress

CAIRO - 22 July 2026: Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath commended on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, the development witnessed in Egyptian-Sri Lankan relations in recent years.

This came during a meeting between Abdelatty and his Sri Lankan counterpart on the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Manila.

The two ministers expressed keenness to build on the momentum in bilateral ties and boost consultation and coordination mechanisms to reflect the depth of historical relations.

Abdelatty stressed Egypt's interest in continuing to activate bilateral cooperation frameworks, particularly regular political consultations between both foreign ministries and enhanced parliamentary cooperation.

He expressed looking forward to increasing Sri Lankan investments in the Egyptian market and taking advantage of promising investment opportunities, especially in the Suez Canal Economic Zone given its incentives for foreign investors.

He welcomed the interest of major Sri Lankan garment companies to expand investments in Egypt, affirming the government's commitment to overcoming obstacles for investors to boost trade and revive the joint business council.

Abdelatty praised existing cooperation in tourism and antiquities, emphasizing the importance of activating the signed memorandum of understanding and leveraging Egyptian expertise to train workers in the sector.

He affirmed Egypt's readiness to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation with Sri Lanka and utilize Al-Azhar's role in spreading moderate thought, including sending imams and teachers to Sri Lankan religious and educational institutions.

The meeting covered regional and international issues of mutual concern, where Abdelatty outlined Egypt's vision on regional challenges, stressing the importance of intensifying international efforts to de-escalate tensions and favor political solutions.

He listened to the Sri Lankan foreign minister's assessment of developments in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia regions as both sides exchanged views on regional updates.

For his part, Sri Lanka's foreign minister highlighted his country's interest in advancing relations with Egypt, praising Egypt's regional and international standing.

He expressed his country's aspiration to enhance economic, investment, and cultural cooperation while maintaining coordination on issues of common interest.