Press release

FCO Minister meets Egyptian President in Cairo

FCO Minister Tobias Ellwood meets Egyptian President el-Sisi and affirms UK support for a more secure, prosperous, and democratic Egypt.

From:
Foreign & Commonwealth Office and The Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood
Published
15 January 2015
This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood has met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The meeting came at the end of a three-day British trade mission led by Mr Ellwood, which was the largest to Egypt in over ten years.

Minister for the Middle East Tobias Ellwood said:

This week I led a trade mission of over 40 British companies to Egypt to increase investment and trade between our two countries. Increasing British exports and trade is a key part of our long-term economic plan that will help support jobs and growth. It is also evidence of the active, concrete support that the UK is offering to build a more secure, prosperous, and democratic Egypt founded upon a strong, dynamic economy, which creates jobs and opportunities for all Egyptians.

I have been impressed by the vision of economic reform set out by the Egyptian government and Britain stands ready to help implement reforms that make Egypt a more attractive place for investment as well as ensure that economic growth benefits all Egyptians.

I also encourage the Egyptian government to take more steps on political reform, which must go hand-in-hand with economic reform to ensure long-term stability. This includes upholding the fundamental human rights guaranteed in the Egyptian constitution, such as freedom of expression, and reviewing cases such as that of the Al-Jazeera journalists.

At such a decisive time for the region, it is in British interests to see a strong, successful Egypt built on these economic and political reforms. Egypt has an important role in the region. I welcome Egypt’s leadership as part of the coalition to defeat ISIL and the poisonous ideology of violent extremism, as well as its continued support for the Middle East Peace Process.

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Published 15 January 2015