RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD (MNN); Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty began his two-day visit to Pakistan with a series of high-level engagements, signalling a renewed push towards strategic partnership, economic cooperation and regional coordination between Cairo and Islamabad.
On Sunday, Abdelatty held a detailed meeting with Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir at General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi.
According to an official statement issued by the Foreign Office, both sides discussed defence cooperation, joint military training, security collaboration and broader strategic stability in the region.
The two agreed that sustained high-level contact between military institutions would be essential for strengthening operational and intelligence coordination.
The Egyptian foreign minister, who arrived in Islamabad late Saturday night, also met President Asif Ali Zardari and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, where the conversation shifted towards trade expansion, economic reform and stronger institutional frameworks.
During the meeting at Aiwan-e-Sadr, President Zardari described Egypt as a historic and trusted partner, rooted in shared values and longstanding ties. He noted that 2025 marks 77 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations and expressed hope that cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, IT, logistics and mining would accelerate through structured engagement.
Zardari also forwarded warm greetings for President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi while acknowledging Egyptās diplomatic weight in the Muslim world.
Abdelatty stressed that Egypt too is keen to scale up cooperation across political, defence, economic and cultural sectors. He conveyed a message from President El-Sisi and affirmed the desire to widen institutional exchange, particularly in areas of security, business connectivity and education.
Later, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the Egyptian FM addressed a joint press briefing.
Dar disclosed that Pakistan will soon share a list of 250 major business houses representing key economic sectors. These companies will receive priority support from both governments to facilitate investment and bilateral commerce.
After initial implementation and review, another 250 companies will be added, raising the framework to 500 enterprises in total.
Dar also announced the establishment of a Pakistan-Egypt Business Council, followed by a Pakistan-Egypt Business Forum, which both sides expect to operationalise by the second quarter of 2026.
Egyptās government has also agreed to create a “white list” for fast-track business visas, addressing longstanding concerns regarding travel hurdles faced by Pakistani traders and investors.
A long-pending Pakistan-Egypt Joint Ministerial Commission meeting will be revived after 15 years, with preparatory consultations to be held in early 2026.
Dar acknowledged that despite strong political goodwill, institutional progress had lagged for over a decade. The new roadmap, he said, seeks to correct past inertia and unlock large-scale bilateral growth.
Both foreign ministers also reviewed developments in Gaza, Kashmir, Afghanistan and regional corridors of instability.
Dar praised Egypt’s humanitarian role in Gaza, especially its efforts for ceasefire mediation, cross-border aid access and global diplomatic advocacy for Palestinian rights. Abdelatty said Egypt will continue to push for a two-state solution, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital, and invited Pakistan to a forthcoming global conference on Gaza reconstruction.
The Egyptian FM emphasised counter-terror cooperation as a core pillar of future engagement. Egypt, he noted, is ready to share its national counter-extremism model, which blends security operations with educational reform and anti-radicalisation programmes through Al-Azhar University and other religious institutions.
He also welcomed Pakistanās scholars under newly doubled scholarship slots at Al-Azhar, where training modules include deradicalisation and faith-based peace frameworks.
Calling Pakistan his second home, Abdelatty said Cairo looks forward to elevating ties to a strategic level, expanding institutional dialogue and widening cooperation in security, culture, trade and technology.
He reiterated Egyptās trust in Pakistan as a vital Muslim-world partner and highlighted that recent engagements between both leaderships at global forums have already laid momentum for deeper partnership.
