Egypt–Pakistan relations
Encyclopedia
Egypt
and Pakistan
have warm, cordial and brotherly relations based on common bonds of religion, culture, values and commonality of interests.
and Pakistan has an embassy in Cairo
.
. Pakistan played host to some Egyptian warships during the Yom Kippur War
in 1973 Egyptian-Israeli war.
and Egypt
have close diplomatic and trade relations. Both countries are members of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation), "the next eleven
" and the "D8
". The two countries are jointly coordinating on different fronts in international organizations, in September 2008, under the banner of OIC, Egypt and Pakistan, on behalf of the Muslim World, presented and sponsored a UN Human Rights Council Resolution to ban defaming of religion.
Egypt continues to support Pakistan in its war against terrorism. In May 2009, Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister visited Islamabad
to show Egypt’s support and solidarity with the people and government of Pakistan. Along with the visit, Egypt was the first country to send relief consignment for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and still sending humanitarian assistance to Pakistan for the same purpose. Pakistan Prime Minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani, on assuming his office, made his first trip abroad to Egypt, within a year time, Gilani visited Egypt again in July 2009.
is the owner of Mobilink
, one of the largest telecommunication company in Pakistan with a total investment exceeding 2 billion USD. On the other side, several Pakistani investments in the field of textile industry are based now in Egypt.
Egypt and Pakistan have agreed to enhance the existing level of co-operation between the two countries which include economic and commercial relations, investment opportunities, co-operation in public and civil services, health sector, agriculture, and postal, both countries would further enhance their co-operation in the alternative energy sector particularly wind power generation. In addition, Egypt and Pakistan have started to open up new windows for cooperation in several fields, including agriculture, health, higher education, technical support, ICT, and others.
There are over 700 Pakistanis living in Egypt, mainly in Cairo
and Alexandria
. Relations are helped by the fact that both states are majority-Muslim and and there is a strong people to people contact between both countries, Al-Azhar University
continues to offer its 30 scholarships to the Pakistani students each year, this number will rise to 50 soon. Additionally, 30 Egyptian professors have been sent to teach at the International Islamic University
in Islamabad. Furthermore, Pakistani scholars benefit from the scholarships offered by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
have warm, cordial and brotherly relations based on common bonds of religion, culture, values and commonality of interests.
Diplomatic Missions
Egypt has an embassy in IslamabadIslamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
and Pakistan has an embassy in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
.
History
Egypt and Pakistan established diplomatic relations in 1951, and since then they have maintained time-honored relations. Even before the independence of Pakistan, the only country that was visited by Muhammed Ali Jinnah was Egypt. In 1951, the two countries signed a friendship agreement, signifying the strong ties between the two countries. Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser, who visited Pakistan in 1960 for the first time, interfered to halt the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
. Pakistan played host to some Egyptian warships during the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
in 1973 Egyptian-Israeli war.
Bilateral Relations
PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
have close diplomatic and trade relations. Both countries are members of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation), "the next eleven
Next Eleven
The Next Eleven are eleven countries—Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Turkey, and Vietnam — identified by Goldman Sachs investment bank and Jim O'Neill as having a high potential of becoming, along with the BRICS, the world's largest...
" and the "D8
Developing 8 Countries
The Developing 8 are a group of developing countries with large Muslim populations that have formed an economic development alliance. It consists of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.-History:The D-8 was founded by Necmettin Erbakan, former Turkish Prime...
". The two countries are jointly coordinating on different fronts in international organizations, in September 2008, under the banner of OIC, Egypt and Pakistan, on behalf of the Muslim World, presented and sponsored a UN Human Rights Council Resolution to ban defaming of religion.
Egypt continues to support Pakistan in its war against terrorism. In May 2009, Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister visited Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
to show Egypt’s support and solidarity with the people and government of Pakistan. Along with the visit, Egypt was the first country to send relief consignment for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and still sending humanitarian assistance to Pakistan for the same purpose. Pakistan Prime Minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani, on assuming his office, made his first trip abroad to Egypt, within a year time, Gilani visited Egypt again in July 2009.
Economic Relations
Economically, the volume of trade between the two countries increased by 55% in 2007-2008 to reach $313 millions, which still remains relatively low compared to the potentials and the close relations which both countries enjoy.In investment, among the different Egyptian enterprises investing in the Pakistani market, Orascom Telecom HoldingOrascom Telecom Holding
Orascom Telecom Holding S.A.E. is a leading international telecommunications company operating GSM networks in the Middle East, Africa, Canada and Asia. It started its operations in Egypt by launching the first egyptian mobile operator in 1998, ....
is the owner of Mobilink
Mobilink
Pakistan Mobile Communications Limited, better known as Mobilink GSM, is a telecommunication service provider in Pakistan. The company is Pakistan's leading cellular operator with a subscriber base of 31.5m and market share of 31% in October 2010....
, one of the largest telecommunication company in Pakistan with a total investment exceeding 2 billion USD. On the other side, several Pakistani investments in the field of textile industry are based now in Egypt.
Egypt and Pakistan have agreed to enhance the existing level of co-operation between the two countries which include economic and commercial relations, investment opportunities, co-operation in public and civil services, health sector, agriculture, and postal, both countries would further enhance their co-operation in the alternative energy sector particularly wind power generation. In addition, Egypt and Pakistan have started to open up new windows for cooperation in several fields, including agriculture, health, higher education, technical support, ICT, and others.
There are over 700 Pakistanis living in Egypt, mainly in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
. Relations are helped by the fact that both states are majority-Muslim and and there is a strong people to people contact between both countries, Al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
continues to offer its 30 scholarships to the Pakistani students each year, this number will rise to 50 soon. Additionally, 30 Egyptian professors have been sent to teach at the International Islamic University
International Islamic University
International Islamic University may refer to:*The International Islamic University Malaysia *The International Islamic University, Islamabad *The International Islamic University, Chittagong...
in Islamabad. Furthermore, Pakistani scholars benefit from the scholarships offered by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture.