Lisbon, Malabo… Fruitful Presidential Tour In This Issue Page:5 Egypt no longer on US State Department travel warning list Chairman of SIS Page:40 Ambassador Salah A Elsadek Messi, Egypt’s face of Tour n’ Cure Page:37 Editor-in-Chief Abdel Mo’ti Abu Zeid th 38 Cairo International Film Festival Page:49 Executive Editor Nashwa Abdel Hamid Editors Mostafa Ahmady Iman Abdel Meguid Heba Adel Layout Contact us Letter from Cairo Shimaa Abd El-Sabour Rami Ahmed State Information Service (SIS) A bi-monthly periodical on the Foreign Information Sector current political, economic, and cultural developments in Address: 3 Al Estad Al Bahary St. - Nasr Egypt. Cover City, Cairo. Rami Ahmed Tel: 22617304 - 22617308 - 22617358 Issued by: Web Site :www.sis.gov.eg Foreign Information Sector E-mail :[email protected] State Information Service Arab Republic of Egypt 2 Table Of Content Editorial Sisi hails Portugal’s support for Egyptians to build democratic State Sisi attends 4th Arab-African Summit in Malabo Relations between Egypt and Equatorial Guinea Sisi receives delegation of 50 US companies SMEs loan portfolio expected to increase to 70bn in 4 years Egypt launches 30 water wells in Tanzania Messi, Egypt’s face of Tour n’ Cure Egypt no longer on US State Department travel warning list 2nd Egyptian Date Palm Festival opens in Siwa Oasis Luxor named World Tourism Capital of 2016 14 countries participated in Cross Egypt Challenge Dr. Boutros Ghali Exhibition inaugurated at Pharaonic Village 38th Cairo International Film Festival Egypt’s Arab Music Festival celebrates Silver Jubilee Al-Ahly wins African Handball League for fifth time Egypt’s karate team wins gold, silver and bronze in world championship Omar Assar wins table tennis title in Morocco To navigate the issue on the website of the State Information Service click here 3 Editorial Lisbon, Malabo ... Dialogue between Two Continents President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi made a three-day State visit to Portugal where he had important talks with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister António Costa on regional developments and means to combat terrorism as well as taking part in a meeting of Portuguese businessmen and giving a lecture at the Portuguese Military Academy. The President then headed to Malabo, the capital of the Equatorial Guinea, to take part in the 4th Arab-African Summit. The President’s participation in the summit reflects Egypt’s keenness on enhancing inter-African joint cooperation for achieving sustainable development and standing up to various challenges facing Arab and African peoples. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi also received a delegation from the US business community under Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State David Thorne. The delegation groups representatives of about 50 US companies operating in the various sectors. Thorne said Egyptian-US relations will remain strong and fruitful, pointing out to keenness of President El-Sisi and the Egyptian government on making changes to put Egypt on the right track. He expressed his country’s support for Egypt in receiving the loan of the International Monetary Fund. On a different note, the decision by the US State Department considering Egypt as a safe country was hailed. According to a map that was published by the State Department, Egypt was classified as a safe destination for US nationals who are seeking to spend Christmas vacations. The current issue of “Letter from Cairo” also features a number of key tourist and cultural events including: 38th Cairo International Film Festival, 2nd Egyptian Date Palm Festival in Siwa Oasis, the opening of the museum of Egypt’s former UN secretary general Boutros Ghali, Egypt’s latest initiative for medical tourism towards a world free of Hepatitis C, and achievements of Al-Ahly Sports Club which won African Handball League for fifth time, Egypt’s national karate team which won gold, silver and bronze in world championship and tennis table player Omar Assar who won the African Table Tennis Championship for men, held in Morocco October 31, 2016 for the second time in a row. 4 Portuguese President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (R) with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (L) prior to a meeting at Belem Palace. Sisi hails Portugal’s support for Egyptians to build democratic State 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 President, Sisi extolled the balanced Portuguese stands vis-à-vis the political developments in Egypt over the past few years. President 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 António Guterres and several Portuguese politicians and public figures, De Sousa hailed the current visit by President Sisi to Lisbon. De Sousa noted that Portugal has changed a lot since the last visit by an Egyptian president in 1992. 5 He called for enhancing prospects for enhancing cooperation between the Sisi stresses economic and trade two States, highlighting Egypt’s keenness cooperation between the the pivotal Egyptian on promoting two countries, according role in the Middle East to the Spokesman. Also relations with EU and the direct impact in the meeting, Sisi of Egypt’s stability and countries referred to efforts security on Europe. De exerted by the Egyptian Sousa extolled Sisi’s require strengthening government to develop efforts to disseminate cooperation between the the industry sector and the moderate teachings Mediterranean’s South and build industrial cities of Islam, support North, Spokesman for the and zones. the dialogue among Presidency Alaa Youssef Costa, for his part, civilizations and push said. welcomed Sisi’s visit, forward the Middle East President Sisi voiced pointing out that it is peace process. happiness for visiting a momentum towards Sisi stresses Egypt’s Lisbon and hailed the warm promoting the two keenness on welcome that reflects the countries’ ties, the promoting relations distinguished and profound Presidential Spokesman with EU countries relations between Cairo said. He stressed his President Abdel Fattah and Lisbon, the Spokesman country’s keenness on El-Sisi stressed Egypt’s added. developing Lisbon-Cairo relations, the Spokesman keenness on promoting Youssef noted that added. The Portuguese relations with the President Sisi stressed the prime minister hailed the European Union importance of promoting latest economic decisions countries, notably economic cooperation taken by the Egyptian Portugal. The President between the two countries, government, stressing made the remarks in pointing out that the that many Portuguese talks with Portuguese volume of trade between companies are interested Prime Minister Antonio the two countries is not in investing in Egypt. Costa in Lisbon. During commensurate with the meeting, Sisi their “excellent political The meeting was attended said that challenges relations”. The President by the Egyptian ministers of the Middle East said that there are broad of foreign affairs, trade, industry and investment 6 Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (R) and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi listen to the national anthems at the Belem monastery on the beginning of a State visit in Lisbon. 7 as well as the Portuguese ministers of He asserted the importance of foreign affairs, defense, planning and continuing coordination and infrastructure. Sisi and Costa tackled consultation between the two ways to develop bilateral cooperation countries within the UN bodies in many fields, especially in the and regional and international economic and trade sectors. The forums, such as the Union for the latest developments in the Middle Mediterranean. De Sousa pointed to East as well as fighting terrorism Egypt’s role in boosting cooperation and extremism were also discussed between the Arab world and the in the meeting. European Union. Egypt plays vital role in realizing For his part, President Sisi lauded security, stability in Middle East: Portugal’s balanced stances toward Portuguese president developments Egypt has recently seen Portuguese President Marcelo and understanding of the Egyptian Rebelo de Sousa asserted that Egypt people’s choices, Presidential plays a pivotal role in consolidating Spokesman Alaa Youssef said. the foundations of security and He offered congratulations over the stability in the Middle East. De election of prominent Portuguese Sousa made the comments during a politician to the post of the UN chief, meeting with President Abdel Fttah who was supported by Egypt. El-Sisi at the Presidential Palace in Lisbon. The spokesman added that the talks took up challenges and crises in the Portugal is looking forward to region, which necessitate boosting boosting relations with Egypt in cooperation between the north and various fields and holding a meeting south of the Mediterranean to face of a joint committee soon to activate such crises. cooperation in various sectors, he said. He lauded Egypt’s strong Sisi reviewed the latest developments support to Portugal’s candidate in Egypt, asserting the State’s for the UN secretary general post keenness to consolidate the values Antonio Guterres. He congratulated of democracy and rule of law as well President Sisi on Egypt’s election as achieve balance between freedoms to a membership in the UN Human and security and stability. Rights Council. 8 Sisi: Egypt’s stance towards Syrian crisis ‘clear’ Egypt has a clear stance towards asserting the need to solve the crises the Syrian crisis, President Abdel in Iraq, Syria and Libya in order to Fattah El- Sisi said. Interviewed curb increase in terrorist attacks. by the Portuguese RTB TV channel, The developments in these countries Sisi said Egypt respects the will of encourage a favorable environment the Syrian people and seeks to find for the growth of extremism and a political settlement of the Syrian terrorism, the President said, urging issue.