Egyptian President Al Sisi extends New Year greetings to President Rajapaksa

Reaffirming the cordial relationship that has always existed between Egypt and Sri Lanka, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi has extended his heartfelt best wishes and greetings to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the people of Sri Lanka for the New Year 2021, the Egyptian Embassy in Colombo said.

The full text of the message of greetings, as released through the Embassy, is as follows:

H.E. Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa

President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

As we bid farewell to this year and welcome, with optimism and hope, Christmas and the New Year 2021, it gives me pleasure to extend to Your Excellency and your people my warm greetings and heartfelt felicitations together with my best wishes.

With this good occasion, I would like to express my sincere hope that the New Year will usher in a new chapter where our ambitions and aspirations come true through harnessing our efforts to surmount the global challenges and realize a future that ensures growing peace and prosperity for all.

I also hope that 2021 will witness further expansion of our bilateral ties in the spirit of friendship and cooperation that has marked our relations for long decades to achieve the mutual benefit to our friendly peoples.

Reiterating my cordial wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy New Year, please accept, dear Mr. President, my sincerest wishes for the best of your well-being and for the progress and welfare of your friendly people and all the peoples of the world.

Highest consideration and appreciation.

Abdel Fattah Al Sisi

President of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka in 1957 and currently bilateral relations are experiencing a surge across many fields as both countries are cooperating and working together to overcome the diverse challenges presented by the COVID-19 global pandemic, the embassy adds.

"Even during these difficult times, bilateral trade has gathered in momentum while the two countries are pursuing enhanced cooperation on several other fronts following the first round of bilateral political consultations held between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Egypt and Sri Lanka in Cairo on 12 December 2019. Subsequently, EgyptAir, the national flag carrier of Egypt commenced direct cargo flights between Cairo and Colombo from October 2020 while the inauguration of direct passenger flights between the two countries is also in the pipeline. Building upon these strong foundations of mutual cooperation, the dawning New Year is expected herald greater opportunities for the enhancement of the amicable relations which already exist between us two countries and peoples," the release states.