Egypt consistent in frozen Kosovo recognition: Won't support Pristina in international organizations

Printscreen: Tanjug

Egypt maintains the stance towards so-called Kosovo as being a "frozen" recognition, which means that the country does not vote in favor Pristina's membership in international organizations, it has been confirmed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in conversation with Serbian National Assembly President Ivica Dacic in Cairo.

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On behalf of President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, Dacic also invited the President of Egypt to visit our country next year, which Sisi accepted.

"For us, the most important thing is another confirmation, and coming directly from President Sisi, that Egypt remains of the opinion that their stance towards Kosovo and Metohija is in the status of a frozen recognition," Dacic told journalists after separate meetings with President Sisi and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.

Dacic recalled that in the last days of the rule of Mohamed Morsi, under the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood, an announcement came that Egypt had recognized so-called Kosovo, but that after President Sisi came to power, no further steps in making that decision operational have been implemented - the embassy has not been opened, nor have diplomatic relations been established.

Based on an agreement from a few years ago, Dacic, then Serbia's foreign minister, and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, agreed that it should be a kind of frozen recognition, which meant that Egypt does not support Kosovo and does not vote for Pristina's membership in international forums.

"Today, we once again received official confirmation that this will be the policy of Egypt in the coming period as well," Dacic stressed.

He pointed out that relations with Serbia are extremely important for Egypt.

"I conveyed the greetings of President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, and once again, on his behalf, invited him to visit Serbia, and he promised that this would happen after elections in our country," said Dacic.

The Assembly president said that it was stated during the talks that good political relations are not accompanied by extremely rich economic cooperation, since foreign trade exchange last year was around 100 million, which, he says, is low compared to the possibilities.

Dacic said that there is mutual will for comprehensive development of relations, in every field - from politics, exchange of visits at the highest level, to activation of a Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation of Egypt and Serbia, cooperation in culture, education, defense and military industry.

At the same time, Dacic pointed out that this year a record was broken when it comes to the number of Serbian tourists who traveled in Egypt, and that we would like to have as many tourists from Egypt as possible come to Serbia.

He added that Egypt is pleased to highlight the 113-year-long tradition of diplomatic relations with Serbia, as well as the fact that Egypt and the former Yugoslavia were co-founders of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Dacic led the parliamentary delegation on a visit to Egypt, during which he also met with Speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives Hanafy Ali El-Gebali, while members of his delegation, MPs Dubravka Filipovski and Snezana Paunkovic will take part in a meeting of the International Parliamentary Network against corruption.

(Telegraf.rs)