Egypt-Pakistan ties gain remarkable momentum through high-level engagements: Ambassador Ihab Abdelhamid
ZUBAIR QURESHI
Pakistan and Egypt reaffirmed their commitment on Thursday to deepening their decade-old friendship by expanding economic cooperation, boosting trade and investment, and strengthening political and strategic engagement as the Arab Republic of Egypt celebrated its National Day at a reception hosted by Ambassador Dr Ihab Abdelhamid. Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan was the chief guest on the occasion.
The reception was attended by PPP Senator Sehar Kamran, ambassadors and diplomats from Arab, African and other friendly countries, senior government officials, business leaders and members of civil society. The well-attended gathering reflected the warmth, goodwill and camaraderie shared between the peoples of Pakistan and Egypt.
Ambassador Dr Ihab Abdelhamid and Jam Kamal both in their addresses highlighted the growing momentum in bilateral relations and expressed confidence that the two countries were well positioned to transform their longstanding political goodwill into a vibrant economic partnership.
Congratulating Egypt on behalf of President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the people of Pakistan, Jam Kamal Khan described Egypt as a key partner in the Arab and Muslim world, saying the relationship was built on shared history, common values, mutual respect and close cooperation on bilateral and international issues.
He appreciated Egypt’s support to Pakistan in the health sector, particularly the provision of Hepatitis C medication, and thanked Cairo for facilitating humanitarian assistance from Pakistan to Gaza while acknowledging Egypt’s broader efforts for regional peace and humanitarian relief for the Palestinian people.
The minister also welcomed the steady growth in defence cooperation, including military exchanges and training programmes, but stressed that the next phase of relations should be driven by stronger economic integration.
Calling on both countries to move beyond a traditional buyer-seller relationship, Jam Kamal Khan said Pakistan and Egypt should become strategic investment partners capable of building joint industrial value chains and serving regional markets.
He said Egypt offered an ideal manufacturing and distribution hub connecting Africa, the Arab world and the Mediterranean, while Pakistan provided a gateway to South Asia, Central Asia, China and the Arabian Sea.
The commerce minister noted that Egyptian companies had already invested in Pakistan’s power transmission, finance, telecommunications and real estate sectors, while Pakistani businesses were increasingly exploring opportunities in Egypt.
He identified food processing, energy, logistics, construction and manufacturing among the sectors offering significant potential for bilateral investment and industrial cooperation. Highlighting the complementarity of both economies, Jam Kamal Khan said Pakistan exported textiles, pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment, medical instruments and agricultural products to Egypt, while importing energy products, chemicals, fertilizers, cotton, processed foods and manufactured goods.
Jam Kamal Khan revealed that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi had had accepted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation to visit Pakistan, with dates to be finalized through mutual consultation.
Earlier, welcoming the guests, Ambassador Dr. Ihab Abdelhamid said Egypt’s National Day commemorated the historic 1952 Revolution, which laid the foundations for independence, social justice and national development.
He said Egypt today remained committed to building a modern and prosperous state while promoting peace, stability, dialogue and constructive international cooperation.
The ambassador observed that Egypt-Pakistan relations had witnessed “remarkable momentum” during the past two years, driven by an active exchange of high-level visits, including those by Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
According to the ambassador, these exchanges had strengthened political consultations and expanded cooperation across strategic sectors, laying the foundation for a more dynamic and forward-looking bilateral partnership.
At a time of growing regional and global challenges, he said, Egypt and Pakistan continued to stand together in support of dialogue, diplomacy and international law as the only sustainable path to peace and development.
Dr. Abdelhamid said Egypt now looked forward to converting the current political goodwill into tangible gains through stronger trade, business collaboration and greater institutional and people-to-people exchanges.
Reflecting on his tenure in Pakistan, the ambassador praised the warmth and hospitality of the Pakistani people and expressed confidence that the friendship between the two brotherly nations would continue to flourish, bringing greater prosperity and shared success to both countries.
