Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Hungarian counterpart János Áder held an Egyptian-Hungarian summit on Thursday at the Ettihadeya Presidential Palace, during which the two presidents focused on developments in the Middle East, combating terrorism, curbing illegal immigration, and increasing trade exchange, in addition to problems related to regulating water use.
During a joint press conference held by the two presidents following the discussions, the first of which was a closed-door session, Áder thanked Sisi for his kind invitation, adding that the visit was the first time traveling to Egypt for several members of the Hungarian delegation.
Relations between the two countries have improved significantly, with Thursday’s discussions representing the third meeting between the two countries in the last two years, Áder said, adding that the last time a Hungarian president visited Egypt was 13 years ago.
Thursday’s discussions dealt primarily with the fight against terrorism and illegal immigration, according to Áder, who added that Egypt’s role in this regard is of vital importance to Europe.
The meeting between the two heads of state also touched on economic cooperation, with Áder saying that both countries have an opportunity to cooperate, especially in relation to water resources.
The 21st century is the century of water, the Hungarian president stressed, pointing out that the growing population will require greater access to water resources.
Áder also made reference to Hungary’s export of trains to Egypt, stressing that the groundwork for cooperation across a number of fields has already be laid.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
