Speech of H. E. Bassel Salah Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Dear distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to thank my dear friends in Balkan Travel Magazine for inviting me to such a distinguished event. I consider the Balkan Travel magazine as one of the leading specialized magazines in the region of Western Balkan. The Balkan Travel allows residents of the Balkans’ region as well as visitors a great opportunity to explore the magnificent touristic destinations in the region.

As a foreigner resident in Serbia with my family, I keep enjoying the lovely weather and the breath-taking nature as well as the warmth and kindness of the Serbian people. I visited numerous destinations in Serbia that I will not forget. Among these destinations is “Tara” national park in western Serbia. It has many legends rooted in Serbian history. The park has everything, from magnificent viewpoints to the hidden recesses rich in flora and fauna, fairy tale lakes, and many wonders of nature. Another destination I have visited was “Zlatibor”. Zlatibor is an extremely beautiful mountain. It has enchanting lowland areas, magnificent meadows, dense forests and sunny hills. It is full of opportunities to enjoy including: excursions, winter sports, and it offers a rich cultural and touristic experience.

Serbia and Egypt are similar in the diverse touristic experience available at each of them. Egypt combines various types of tourism that will guarantee for every tourist to experience remarkable time during his stay. The Serbian tourists visit Egypt mainly to go to Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh to enjoy the beaches during summer. In this regard, I would like to mention that there are many other types of tourism that encourage travelers to select Egypt to be his/her tip-top destination such as religious tourism, recreational tourism, medical tourism, desert tourism, eco-tourism, and diving and sea activities tourism.

During my stay in Serbia, I also realized that Serbian culture is so close to Egyptian culture. This manifests itself in food, music, traditional costumes, and the most important of all in the warmth and hospitality of the people. That being said, the relations between Egypt and Serbia are always considered friendly relations based on mutual respect between both countries

and their people. The friendship between Egypt and Serbia marked by mutual solidarity, respect, and support, as we are bound by more than a century-old relationship, rich in history, world – changing decisions that were reflected in the friendship between our two historical presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser, and Joseph Tito.

Last year, 2022, witnessed a very special occasion in the relations between Egypt and Serbia. The recent visit of H.E. President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Serbia that took place from 19 to 22 July 2022, is without doubt the most important event in the relations between both countries not only during last year, but also the last few decades. The historical visit is the first visit of a President of one country to the other since more than three decades, and it reflected the clear and strong willingness of both sides to foster our friendly ties and the keenness of both Egypt and Serbia to give a strong push to the bilateral relations in all spheres.

Last year also marked the hosting of Egypt to the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 27 during the period 6-18 November 2022 on behalf of the African continent, with the participation of numerous world leaders and international organizations. Egypt’s Presidency of the COP 27 succeeded in showing the world the needed actions for the implementation of the goals of the climate actions, in addition to addressing the African concerns on climate change, including the implementation of climate pledges, given that the conference was held in Africa for the first time

Finally, I have to mention that this year marks the 115th anniversary of establishing the diplomatic relations between Egypt and Serbia. Both countries are working on celebrationg this anniversary through a series of cultural activities in Cairo and Belgrade, as we as investing this ooportunity in reviewing the current relations between both countries with a view of assessing the potentials for the future cooperatio and working on the means and measures to make good use of these opportunities for the good of the countries and their people.

Thank you.