The Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zukan Helez, received today in Sarajevo the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Bosnia and Herzegovina, H.E. Walid Haggag, along with the newly appointed military attaché of Egypt in BiH, Staff Colonel Ali Muhammed Taher Awad.
During the meeting, officials discussed key steps toward establishing future bilateral cooperation between the Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Arab Republic of Egypt, as well as opportunities for collaboration between the defense industries of the two countries.
Minister Helez informed his guests that the draft agreement on bilateral defense cooperation is in its final stage.
Ambassador Haggag expressed confidence that the agreement could be signed during the official visit of Minister Helez to his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo.
“In the past, the economies of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Egypt enjoyed much closer cooperation. I am pleased that we are creating the conditions for this cooperation to revive again, on the wings of our ever-improving defense ties. The upcoming agreement will focus on military education and training, logistical support, exchange of military information, joint exercises and other forms of cooperation. We expect this to open the door to broader collaboration in energy, dedicated industry, telecommunications, metallurgy, as well as the food and wood industries. We see Egypt as our gateway to the African continent, while Egypt can look at Bosnia and Herzegovina as an entry point to the European market,” said Minister Helez.
Ambassador Haggag particularly praised the decision of the state leadership of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in the upcoming peacekeeping forces in Gaza.
“Egypt will play a very significant role in the peacekeeping mission in Gaza, and we are pleased that we can count on our friends from Bosnia and Herzegovina in this effort,” Ambassador Haggag said.
Minister Helez also thanked Ambassador Haggag for the excellently organized first official visit of a BiH defense minister to Egypt last year, highlighting the strong impression left on him by the Egyptian military academy. He expressed his belief that its experience could serve as a model in the establishment of a future high military school in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Helez congratulated Staff Colonel Awad on his appointment as Egypt’s military attaché to BiH and assured him of full support in his future work. Colonel Awad expressed confidence that cooperation between the two countries would continue to strengthen and pointed to the possibility of training members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Egypt.
