Visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi hailed Portugal's support for the Egyptian people to build a modern civil democratic state.

During a dinner banquet held by Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in honor of the Egyptian president, Sisi extolled the balanced Portuguese stands vis-a-vis the political developments in Egypt over the past few years.

Sisi also referred to the Portuguese role in expounding to European partners the true image of the developments in Egypt and highlighting the importance of buttressing Egypt in such historical stage.

During the banquet which was attended by United Nations Secretary General designate António Guterres and several Portuguese politicians and public figures, De Sousa hailed the current visit by the Egyptian president to Lisbon.

De Sousa noted that Portugal has changed a lot since the last visit by an Egyptian president in 1992.

He called for enhancing cooperation between the two states, highlighting the pivotal Egyptian role in the Middle East and the direct impact of Egypt's stability and security on Europe.

De Sousa extolled Sisi's efforts to disseminate the moderate teachings of Islam, support the dialogue among civilizations and push forward the Middle East peace process.

Source: MENA