KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Egypt ties are entering a new phase driven by the mutual commitments to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, said the Egyptian ambassador to the country Ragai Tawfik Said Nasr.
He said Sheikh Al-Azhar Al-Sharif Professor Dr Ahmad Muhammad Ahmad At-Tayyeb's special visit to Malaysia recently also will open the door for Malaysia to enter Egypt.
Sheikh Al-Azhar holds the status of Prime Minister according to the Egyptian Constitution.
"It is a witness to our relations that are moving in a wonderful course, driven by the willingness of both the honourable Malaysia Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to push forward the relations.
"I'm sure that it is also a witness that we are going to enter in a new phase of much more relations in all aspects," he told Business Times after hosting the Egypt national day celebration in Malaysia on Monday.
According to Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), Egypt is one of Malaysia's largest trading partners in North Africa with its total trade totalling RM3.35 billion in 2023.
Ragai Tawfik said Sheikh Al-Azhar came to Malaysia for the first time at the invitation of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"I would like to thank the Malaysian government and especially the Prime Minister for sending the invitation to the Sheikh Al-Azhar Al-Sharif Professor Dr Ahmad Muhammad Ahmad At-Tayyeb to come to visit Malaysia.
"It was a very successful visit and he was really touched by the well-prepared meeting," he added.
Ragai Tawfik said the four-day visit from July 2-5 included a meeting with the the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim which lasted for an hour.
"It was a fruitful one-hour meeting where Sultan Ibrahim is glad to meet Sheikh Al-Azhar.
"We had a wonderful discussion with him and I think this visit will open a lot of gates for Malaysia to Egypt," he said, without disclosing the details of the meeting.
Ragai Tawfik hosted Egypt national day celebration in Malaysia which is an early ceremony that marked the country's upcoming 72nd Independence Day, which is celebrated on July 23.
Held at a renowned hotel here, the event was attended by some 300 guests, including foreign heads of missions, Malaysian government officials and business leaders.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir were among the attendees.
Happy with the outcome of the event, Ragai Tawfik said the 72nd anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution was a very important historical event in the Middle East and Africa.
He said this is because the country was among the first African and Arab nations to have its own liberation.
"It was the strike of liberation in all African countries and a lot of Arab countries.
"We are always proud to have this important historic event as it really reshaped the history of the Middle East and Africa," he added.