Egypt has invited Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus to attend the D-8 Summit to be held in its capital Cairo in December next. Egypt Ambassador in Dhaka Omar Fahmy handed over the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to the Chief Adviser at his office in Dhaka on Wednesday (Oct 30), local media reported.
During the meeting, the Egypt envoy said the heads of government from at least five countries – Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Nigeria – had confirmed their participation in the summit to be held from Dec 16 to 19 in Cairo. He said an important sideline meeting in the summit will discuss the way to support the Palestinians against Israeli aggression.
Omar Fahmy also conveyed his government's support for Bangladesh's Interim Government in its efforts for democratic transition after the student-led mass uprising in July-August.
Prof Yunus welcomed the support and expressed his hope that Egypt and Bangladesh will work hand-in-hand in different international fora, such as the OIC and D-8.
The Chief Adviser said he would seriously consider participating in the D-8 summit in Egypt.
Ambassador Fahmy hoped that business delegates from Bangladesh would also visit Egypt during the D-8 Summit. He said Egypt wants to benefit from Bangladesh's experience in ready-made garment and pharmaceutical sectors and also learn jute cultivation.
The envoy said the two countries should expedite work on pending agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) in the fields of agriculture, textiles and pharmaceuticals. He confirmed Egypt's support for Bangladesh's candidature to the non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council for 2031-32.
Ambassador Fahmy also sought Dhaka's support for Cairo's candidacy for the post of the Director General of the UNESCO. He emphasised the renewal of the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between Bangladesh and Egypt.
The first FOC between the two countries was held in 2018, but the second FOC has remained pending since 2021.
