Chinese, Egyptian leaders discuss bilateral ties, Middle East

By Ibrahim Khazen and Ali Semerci

ISTANBUL (AA) – The presidents of China and Egypt discussed bilateral relations and developments in the Middle East on Thursday, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

During the meeting, El-Sisi said Egypt is looking forward to increasing the flow of Chinese tourists to Egypt and is encouraging Chinese companies to maximize their investments in the country, the statement said.

El-Sisi also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and discussed the importance of implementing joint projects between Egypt and Iraq.

The Egyptian president expressed his country’s keenness to provide full support for the Iraqi people at all levels to overcome all difficulties, especially in the fight against terrorism and restoring security and stability.

On Wednesday evening, Xi arrived in Saudi Arabia on a three-day official visit to attend the first China-Arab Summit and China-Gulf Summit in Riyadh as well as to hold talks with Saudi officials.

The Chinese president’s visit comes three months after US President Joe Biden visited Riyadh amid an energy crisis caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Xi’s last visit to Saudi Arabia was in 2016.