Egypt to double number of scholarships for Pakistani students at Al Azhar University, Cairo
Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday and was received by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Briefing newsmen at a joint press stakeout after the meeting, Dar welcomed the visit of Egypt’s FM Dr Abdelatty, highlighting the “deep partnership and brotherly ties” between Pakistan and Egypt. He said the visit would help advance shared objectives and noted growing cooperation in areas including the economy and defence.
Dr Abdelatty thanked Pakistan for its hospitality and emphasised the need to address shared challenges. He condemned recent terrorist attacks in Islamabad and Peshawar, expressing condolences to the Pakistani government and people for the loss of life.
Ishaq Dar said the two sides held a focused discussion on increasing bilateral trade potential and strengthening Business to Business linkages.
He said Islamabad will share a comprehensive list of 250 businesses in key sectors of economy with Cairo to be facilitated and supported by Egypt to enhance bilateral commercial engagement.
He added that after six months of this initial list sharing, another list of 250 business entities will also be shared with Egypt under the same mechanism taking the total number of Pakistani businesses to 500 to be developed with Egypt’s collaboration.
The Deputy Prime Minister said a new Pak-Egypt Business Council will be established to institutionalize private sector cooperation and promote mutually beneficial commercial partnership between the two countries.
He said Pak-Egypt Business Forum will also be established soon to promote B2B cooperation.
On Education and people to people linkages, Ishaq Dar said Egypt has agreed to double the number of scholarships for Pakistani students at the renowned Al Azhar University, Cairo.
He said his country is ready to offer all-out cooperation to Pakistan in the fields of agriculture, trade and investment, pharmaceuticals, public health and in countering extremism.
The Egyptian foreign minister described the bilateral relationship as “strong and historic” and based on mutual interest and respect. He said both countries had agreed to enhance political dialogue, economic cooperation, and defence collaboration, and pledged Egypt’s support in countering terrorism and extremism.
Dr Abdelatty also praised Pakistan’s consistent support on multilateral platforms and acknowledged its role in the Gaza ceasefire agreement. He reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to a UN-backed resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, describing a two-state solution as “practical and sustainable,” and expressed interest in Pakistan’s involvement in Gaza’s reconstruction.
At the invitation of FM Dar, FM Dr Abdelatty arrived in Pakistan on Saturday for a two-day official visit.
Read: Egyptian FM to arrive in Islamabad today for two-day visit
The visit reflects the longstanding and cordial relations between Pakistan and Egypt, grounded in common faith, cultural affinity, and shared perspectives on regional and international issues.
Earlier this month, Deputy PM Dar spoke with Minister Abdelatty, who conveyed his condolences over the loss of precious lives in the recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
They discussed regional developments, including in the Middle East and peace efforts for Gaza.
Dar also spoke with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Al Busaidi.
