Egypt, Brazil launch strategic partnership in support of development, global peace
As President Abdel Fattah El Sisi was in Rio de Janeiro on Monday to take part in the G20 summit, Egypt and Brazil took a farther step of elevating bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership encompassing a wide spectrum of political, economic and developmental co-operation.
A statement co-signed by President Sisi and President Lula da Silva announced the formalization of a strategic partnership between Egypt and Brazil two countries in reflection of their shared commitment to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and other globally accepted rules of international law.
Aimed at deepening bilateral relations and fostering mutual understanding, the new framework provides for collaboration in addressing socio-economic challenges and promoting sustainable development, the two leaders said in the joint statement.
To achieve these objectives, the two countries will expand the scope of their co-operation to various sectors, including politics, diplomacy, security, economy, trade, investment, environment, agriculture, science, education, development, culture, sports and tourism, and other areas to be determined later.
Furthermore, Egypt and Brazil will in pursuance of this partnership coordinate their efforts on regional and global issues, including supporting reforms in the global financial architecture as well as within the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, with a view to making these structures more representative and more effective in addition to reflecting the realities of the 21st Century.
The joint presidential statement notes that the new partnership framework builds on earlier instruments of co-operation, invoking special reference in this connection to two memoranda of understanding co-signed December 9, 2003 on the establishment of a mechanism for strategic dialogue and the inauguration of political consultations, respectively. Mention was also made of an agreement signed on March 7, 1985 stipulating the establishment of a joint Egyptian-Brazilian Coordination Committee.
In its preamble, the joint presidential statement emphasizes that the partnership framework builds on the two countries’ membership at the BRICS group, a group based on the spirit of respect, solidarity and mutual understanding among its members. It also reflects the willingness of the two countries to work together for the consolidation of global peace and promoting a more representative and fairer world order.
Also in the permeable, the two countries highlighted their prioritization of efforts to combat poverty, hunger and inequity as well as their commitment to strengthening the paths of regional integration pushing forward trade and co-operation between countries of the global South.
The new strategic partnership comes in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and Brazil, characterized by enhancing diversity and deepening bilateral relations, as well as the bonds of friendship that unite the peoples of the two countries, the Presidency Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said.
On the eve of releasing the statement, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met Brazilian President Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. At the outset of the meeting, President Sisi thanked President da Silva for inviting Egypt to the G20 and praised the summit’s focus on developing countries, spokesman Fahmy said. For his part, the Brazilian leader stressed appreciation of the Egyptian leader’s participation in the G20 summit and expressed valuation of Egypt’s active engagement in the G20, noting that such engagement has particularly been supportive of the needs and priorities of developing countries, spokesman Fahmy said.
