CAIRO — Egypt and Japan affirmed on Sunday the need for a ceasefire in Sudan, besides encouraging political dialogue.

This came in a statement by Egyptian Presidential spokesman Ahmad Fahmy during a meeting of Egyptian President Abdel- Fattah El-Sisi with the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Fahmy also stated that Kishida appreciated the Egyptian efforts for evacuating Japanese citizens from Sudan.

He added that Kishida expressed his sincere condolence on death of one Egyptian diplomatic envoy during his mission.

Furthermore, both sides discussed mutual efforts in several fields in order to serve common interests.

El-Sisi expressed Cairo's deep appreciation for Japan's contribution and sincere engagement in supporting the country’s development and national projects.

El-Sisi made this assertion during a press conference on Sunday after meeting with Kishida.

Kishida arrived in Egypt on Saturday for a three-day visit as part of his four-nation Africa tour, his first visit to the region since taking office in October 2021, according to Fahmy.

In addition to his visit to Egypt, Kishida's African tour includes Ghana, Kenya, and Mozambique.

It lasts until May 5 to demonstrate Japan's commitment to the international order based on the rule of law in preparation for the G7 Hiroshima Summit – scheduled to be held on May 19-25 – and strengthen cooperation on global issues.

In his speech, El-Sisi expressed Egypt’s deep appreciation for Japan's support for national projects such as the Grand Egyptian Museum and Egyptian-Japanese schools.

During their meeting, the two heads of state reviewed the economic, legislative, and structural reforms implemented in Egypt over the past years to stimulate the business and investment climate, El-Sisi said.

El-Sisi also laid out the incentives and guarantees provided by Egypt for investors, as well as promising investment opportunities in various fields, and invited the Japanese government to encourage Japanese companies to invest more in Egypt.

According to a recent Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) report, Japanese investments in Egypt reached $73.7 million during FY2021/2022, up from $37.1 million the previous year, an increase of 98.7 percent.

Over the past few years, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has increased its support for development projects in Egypt.

This includes a $301 million loan approved in December 2022 for developing Egypt's fourth metro line and a $336 million agreement signed in February of this year to support the Universal Health Insurance System (UHIS) over seven years.

In March, a $3.8 million grant aid was signed by Japan and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to boost food security in Egypt.

The relations between the two countries have been strengthened through increased political, economic and cultural exchanges. — Agencies