16 May 2014 - Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario will undertake an official visit to Cairo, Egypt on May 19. During the one day visit, Secretary Del Rosario will meet with his Egyptian counterpart, Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy.
The visit is aimed at bolstering bilateral relations between the two countries and exploring various fields of cooperation.
Three agreements are expected to be signed during the Secretary’s visit. The Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation and the Visa Waiver Agreement for Holders of Diplomatic Passports will be signed by the Secretary and the Egyptian Foreign Minister. The two officials will also witness the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce.
Secretary Del Rosario will brief Foreign Minister Fahmy on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and on regional developments, such as the West Philippine Sea Issue and the outcome of the 24th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Myanmar on May 11. The two foreign ministers will also exchange views on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Egypt opened its borders to 3,000 transiting Filipinos who were evacuated from Libya in 2011.
The Philippines and Egypt established diplomatic relations in 1946, and the two countries will celebrate their 70th anniversary of the establishment of their bilateral relations in 2016. The Philippines opened an embassy in Cairo in the 1960s, the only Philippine post in the Arab and African region until mid-1970s. His Excellency Claro S. Cristobal is the Philippine Ambassador to Egypt, while His Excellency Mahmoud Mostafa Ahmed is the current resident Ambassador of Egypt to the Philippines. END