In the Name of Allah the Most Merciful and Compassionate

Ladies and gentlemen;

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Dr. Tony Tan the President of Singapore in Cairo as a dear guest in Egypt at a time when bilateral relations are showing marked progress and growth in several domains. This state of affairs reflects a joint will by the two countries to promote relations to higher and wider horizons.

Your visit, Your Excellence, comes at this time to add a new step to what has been achieved during my visit to Singapore in August 2015 where Egyptian-Singaporean relations are showing real progress and development based on a genuine desire on enhancing joint cooperation at all levels. Your visit to Egypt comes also on the occasion marking the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations which also reflects the close bonds of friendship between the two countries.

Ladies and gentlemen;

I have reviewed with H.E. the president of Singapore during our constructive talks all aspects of bilateral relations. We confirmed our adherence to the principles of good and close relations between Egypt and Singapore and maintaining an exchange of high-level visits along with continuing close consultation on means of upgrading joint cooperation.

We have agreed on activating trade exchange between the two countries and reviewed promising investment opportunities in Egyptian major projects; especially the Suez Canal Zone Development project along with other projects in the fields of ports, energy and water desalination. We have highlighted our interest in benefiting from the Singaporean experience in the domains of transport and education. This comes as part of the Egyptian ambitious plans to achieve development.

Brothers and sisters;

My meeting with H.E. the president is invested with special importance in light of the danger of terrorist threats which is facing all of us. This situation requires more coordination of efforts for overcoming these challenges and a comprehensive cooperation to understand the nature of these challenges and means of overcoming them through an all-out approach that does not stop only at the security aspect but rather extends to include the cultural and intellectual dimensions in an effort to refute the extremist and destructive ideas on which terrorists would depend to commit their acts.

Egypt stood up firmly to extremist ideologies out of her awareness of the danger of these ideas which are calling for chaos with a view to subjecting societies and peoples to their will by the force of weapons. This situation requires fighting these ideologies by all means and drying up their sources of finance and armament along with stopping activities of recruiting new elements.

This is why Egypt has underlined the necessity of working to confirm that genuine Islam is a religion of tolerance and moderate way of thinking. Egypt also urged standing up to the false ideas which contradict with the moderate teachings of Islam. Allow me on this score Mr. President to laud the unique example of Singapore in the ability of peoples to coexist and achieve peace and harmony in a society of different religions and races which contributed to bolstering political, economic and social stability now prevailing in Singapore and was a main cause of achieving its progress and development.

Ladies and gentlemen;

Our talks also touched on regional and international issues of common concern where we discussed efforts exerted to settle crises in the region atop of which come the Palestinian issue and the recent developments in several countries in the region. We have asserted the importance of exerting more efforts for hammering out political settlement to these crises in a way that maintains the entities of these States and their national institutions and guarantee their sovereignty and territorial integrity while ending the suffering of their peoples. We have also agreed to continue coordination and cooperation between the two countries at all regional and international forums.

In conclusion, I would like to welcome once again H.E. President Tony Tan and his accompanying delegation in Cairo. I hope for you and your friendly country more success, progress and stability.

Thank you.