President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in the capital, Rio de Janeiro.
Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Ahmed Fahmy, said that at the beginning of the meeting, President El-Sisi expressed gratitude to President Lula da Silva for inviting Egypt to participate in the G20 summit this year, demonstrating Brazil's appreciation of Egypt's leverage in the Middle East and Africa. President El-Sisi commended the outstanding organization of the summit, at both the substantive and procedural levels. The President also praised Brazil’s keenness on including the priorities of developing countries in the summit’s agenda, primarily through the launch of the “Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty”, in the face of the growing geopolitical, economic, and social challenges worldwide.
President Lula da Silva acknowledged Egypt's vigorous participation in the group's meetings over the year, which came in support of the needs and priorities of developing countries. He expressed appreciation for President El-Sisi's participation in the summit.
During their meeting, the two Presidents discussed regional issues. President El-Sisi reviewed Egypt's efforts to restore stability in the Middle East and achieve an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, lauding Brazil's positions in support of the Palestinian cause. For his part, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva underscored his country’s profound appreciation of Egypt's historical support for the Palestinian people and their cause. The two Presidents agreed on the imperative to implement the two-state solution, expand international recognition of the Palestinian state, and unequivocally reject any attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause.
The meeting also focused on ways to forge closer bilateral relations, given the two countries’ recognition of the need to bolster cooperation based on their shared interests and positions on various issues. Following the meeting, the two Presidents signed a joint statement upgrading the two countries’ bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership, aiming to fulfill the aspirations and interests of their friendly peoples.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
