President Tharman to make 1st state visit to Egypt

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will be making a state visit to Egypt from Sep. 19 to 22, at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

This is President Tharman's first visit to the Middle East and North Africa, and will reaffirm Singapore-Egypt relations.

State welcome ceremony

He will be accorded a State Welcome Ceremony at the Al Ittihadiaya Palace in Cairo, and will be hosted to a State Banquet by Al Sisi.

President Tharman will also meet with Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and together they will co-officiate the opening of the Singapore-Egypt Business Forum.

President Tharman is due to meet with the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Ahmen Al Tayyeb and Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

60th anniversary of diplomatic relations

The state visit comes ahead of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, due in 2026.

Al Sisi was the first Egyptian president to visit Singapore when he made a State Visit in 2015.

Previous Singaporean presidents have also visited the country, beginning with S R Nathan in 2006, and Tony Tan in 2016.

Singaporean community reception

While in Egypt, President Tharman will visit the Suez Canal Economic Zone, as well as meet the Singapore community at a SG60 commemoration reception.

He will also visit the Egyptian Red Crescent Headquarters.

President Tharman will be accompanied by his wife Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, as well as several MPs, including Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli, and Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information and for Health, Tan Kiat How.

Top image via Unsplash & Tharman Shanmugaratnam/Facebook