CAIRO, June 3 (MENA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Expatriates Badr Abdelatty said Tuesday Egypt is keen on promoting security and stability across the Sahel and West Africa, stressing support for Benin’s efforts in combating terrorism.

He noted that the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel affects the entire region, including Sudan, Libya, and countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea.

This came during a meeting with Benin’s Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, where they held political consultations addressing ways to strengthen bilateral relations and tackle challenges facing the African continent, foreign ministry spokesperson Tamim Khallaf said.

Abdelatty welcomed the visit by Bakari, which falls within the framework of the political consultation mechanism signed between Egypt and Benin in February 2000.

He expressed Egypt’s interest in strengthening economic ties and trade exchange and enhancing cooperation in fields such as construction, infrastructure, tourism, culture, electricity and renewable energy, sanitation, pharmaceuticals, cotton and textiles, and agricultural and food processing industries.

Abdelatty emphasized the interest of Egyptian private sector companies in entering the Beninese market, showcasing their expertise in infrastructure, energy, and construction across various African countries.

He welcomed Benin’s continued participation in training courses provided by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EAPD), noting that Benin has so far benefited from 208 training courses with a total of 366 trainees.

He also referred to cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts and combating extremist ideologies — both through Al-Azhar’s missions and training for preachers and imams, as well as through programs offered by the EAPD.

Abdelatty briefed his Beninese counterpart on developments in the Middle East, including Egypt’s mediation efforts to halt the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

He shed light on Egypt’s position on the crisis in Sudan and recent developments in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region.

Also, he reiterated Egypt’s commitment to supporting stability in the Horn of Africa, including its participation in the African Union’s mission to support stability in Somalia.

At the conclusion of the talks, the two ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in diplomatic training, under which Beninese diplomats will be trained at Egypt’s Institute for Diplomatic Studies.

They also signed another MoU for the mutual exemption of entry visas for holders of official passports, aiming to facilitate and accelerate mutual visits and further enhance bilateral relations. (MENA)
A I E/R E E