CAIRO (Realist English). Egyptian-Armenian relations are characterized by historical specifics and close and constructive relations of cooperation, especially in light of the large Armenian community of Egypt and the important contribution of a number of figures of Armenian origin to the political and cultural life of modern Egypt. This feature has also affected the political relations between Cairo and Yerevan.
The more so the Presidents of Armenia have visited Egypt: the visit of the first President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan to Egypt took place in May 1992, and the visit of the second President of Armenia Robert Kocharian — in April 2007. Egypt, taking a neutral position in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, occupies a special place in Armenia’s foreign policy.
The two countries also support a wide range of rounds of political dialogue. Last July, the tenth round of political consultations between the two countries took place in the Armenian capital, and the joint commission on economic, scientific and technical cooperation continues its meetings. Its fifth meeting was held in September 2017, when seven memoranda of understanding were signed. Thus, the number of memoranda of understanding signed between the two sides since 1992 has increased to about 50.
At the economic level, there is noticeable progress: in the first eight months of last year, the volume of trade exchange increased fivefold compared to the first eight months of the previous year. By the way, in 2022, the flow of Armenian tourists to Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh tripled compared to the year before last.
Currently, the parties are seeking to expand the volume of trade exchange, as well as to assist Egypt in the preparation and implementation of the free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Cairo. It is appropriate to note here that the Egyptian Fund for Cooperation with the Commonwealth Countries plays an important role in strengthening bilateral relations by providing Armenia with various forms of assistance, including training courses in various fields as well as financial and technical assistance.
Eldiib Amr Mohamed is editor-in-chief of the Realist Arabic
