Sisi, German defence minister meet in Manama over bilateral cooperation

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Saturday met with German Defense Minister Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen in Manama.

The two sides were on a visit to Bahrain to take part in the IISS Manama Dialogue 2015.

Presidential Spokesman Alaa Youssef said that the German minister hailed the positive outcome of a visit paid by Sisi to Berlin in June that contributed to pushing forward cooperation relations between the two countries.

She also confirmed the German interest in promoting cooperation with Egypt in the military field, along with economic and political areas in light of Egypt's pivotal weight in the Middle East and its role in achieving peace and stability in the region, the spokesman added.

Sisi stressed Egypt's keenness on enhancing bilateral relations in all fields and expressed his appreciation for Germany's positions in supporting measures taken by Egypt to complete its comprehensive development process, Youssef said.

The meeting dealt with ways to promote cooperation between the two countries in the economic, security and military fields.

The two sides also discussed recent regional developments and anti-terrorism efforts.

Sisi on Friday delivered a keynote speech at the IISS Manama Dialogue 2015, held in the Bahraini capital.

In his speech, the president asserted that the sectarian strife had become a war of attrition in the Middle East.

Sisi described the Manama Dialogue as one of the most important regional events, which is aimed to discuss security issues at the regional level.

The president returned home Saturday from Bahrain, wrapping up a foreign tour which also took him to the UAE and India.

Source: MENA