Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Egyptian Ambassador to Japan Mohamed Abubakr hosted a reception on Wednesday to celebrate the 71st anniversary of the July 23 Revolution. The celebration was attended by politicians, members of parliament and officials, including Digital Affairs Minister KONO Taro and State Minister for Foreign Affairs YAMADA Kenji.

 Ambassador Abubakr delivered opening remarks on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the Egyptian government and the Egyptian people and expressed “profound admiration and deep respect for their Imperial Majesties, members of the Imperial family, the government and the people of Japan for the continued friendly relations between Egypt and Japan.”

He said this year is another major milestone in the “deeply rooted bilateral relationship” between the two countries, particularly after upgrading relations to the level of a “strategic partnership” during the summit between President El Sisi and Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio in Cairo last April.

The partnership between the two countries helps Egypt’s aspiration to progress and diversify its economy and thus the welfare of its people, Abubakr said, noting that Japan is a close developmental partner for Egypt, which offers attractive gateways and opportunities for Japanese companies.

“Next year, we will see another important milestone in our bilateral relations that the world will witness with the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum, the largest archaeological museum in the world, a global cultural beacon that will display 100,000 artifacts belonging to one civilization,” Abubakr stated proudly. “We are looking forward to receiving His Excellency Prime Minister Kishida to participate in the official inauguration and the grand opening ceremony of the museum next year.”

Yamada added to the ambassador’s remarks. “I believe that our bilateral relations have already long since reached the level of strategic partnership,” he said. “Prime Minister Kishida’s visit was a good opportunity to confirm it. The progress in our cooperation projects, such as the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Greater Cairo Metro Line 4, the Egypt-Japan education partnership and the Egypt and Japan University Science and Technology Project EGJUST is simply remarkable.”

“I am delighted to see an increasing number of people learning the Japanese language in Egypt, and more and more Japanese companies are operating in the country. There are many fans of ancient Egyptian culture in Japan and we are looking forward to experiencing its ancient history and culture in the future.”