KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia and Egypt will focus on expanding trade and investment cooperation, improving flight connectivity and exploring new areas of economic collaboration, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Saturday.
The two countries are also looking to broaden educational cooperation to include engineering, medicine, electrical and electronics, digital technology, and artificial intelligence, Anwar said in a joint press briefing with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in conjunction with the latter's two-day state visit to Malaysia.
He said bilateral trade had increased by 74.7 percent this year, but stressed that the growth came from a low base, leaving considerable room for further expansion.
Anwar said Malaysia saw great potential to expand cooperation with Egypt in several sectors, including semiconductors, electrical and electronics, agriculture and pharmaceuticals, adding that Malaysia was also looking at emerging economies, including BRICS countries, as potential sources of pharmaceutical products, with Egypt among the countries that could meet its needs.
For his part, Sisi said Egypt was making relentless efforts to halt the escalation in the Middle East, stressing that collective efforts were necessary to establish peace and uphold international law.
"I just want to confirm here that there is a total convergence between me and the prime minister regarding the issues of the region and the world, that the political and the diplomatic tracks, respecting international law, are the only way to find lasting and permanent solutions to the crisis in the Gulf (region)," he said. ■
