Serbia, Egypt agree to boost cooperation amid war in Ukraine
Egypt and Serbia have agreed to boost political, economic and other cooperation as the two countries look for ways to deal with the global impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Egypt and Serbia on Wednesday agreed to boost political, economic and other cooperation as the two countries look for ways to deal with the global impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi was in Serbia on a three-day visit this week — the first in more than three decades by an Egyptian president. His host, Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic, said the visit had a “historic character.”
"It will bring so much in the future,” Vucic said at a joint press conference with Sissi. “This is just a beginning.”
The two leaders signed a partnership declaration, Vucic awarded el-Sissi a state decoration and announced plans for a free trade agreement by the end of the year. A business forum was held as officials signed a series of deals focusing on fields of cooperation.
“Both our countries should cooperate for better economies in relation to the global events,” said el-Sissi. “Egypt expects stronger cooperation in all fields.”
Vucic said Serbia will export grain, primarily wheat, to Egypt, which has been hit hard by the price hikes caused by the war in Ukraine. Egypt is among the world’s largest importers of wheat, with much of that from now-blocked Ukrainian ports.
Serbia, a candidate country for European Union membership, has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia and has maintained friendly relations with Moscow despite the war. Both leaders said the war in Ukraine was among the topics discussed at their meeting Wednesday.
“Egypt is a country that wishes to see everything resolved peacefully and through agreements,” said el-Sissi, who met with U.S. President Joe Biden in Saudi Arabia last week.
El-Sissi and Vucic also evoked during their press conference the decades-old ties of Belgrade and Cairo as founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement of nations outside the opposed blocs during the time of Cold War divisions.