Sisi starts historic visit to Japan on sunday

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi will embark on an a historic visit to Japan as part of his Asian trip, planned to start February 28, during which he would stop in Kazakhstan and South Korea. 

During his stay in Tokyo, Sisi would meet Emperor of Japan Akihito, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Japanese MP Yuriko Koike, the head of the Japan-Egypt Parliamentary Friendship Association.

In his visit, first since he came to power in 2014, Sisi aims at opening new horizons for Egyptian-Japanese cooperation. He is scheduled to hold a separate meeting with head of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). 

According to a report by State Information Services (SIS), the relations between Egypt and Japan, in modern history, date back to almost 150 years ago. 

The Cultural nature overwhelmed the aspects of cooperation between Egypt and Japan ever since the first direct encounter between the two countries in 1862 upon the arrival of the two samurai missions to Egypt - in their way to Europe. 

As a result, the Egyptian interest in Japan came out at the beginning of the 20th century when the Egyptian political leader "Mostafa Kamel" introduced a cultural portrait of Japan in his book "the Land of the Rising Sun" published in 1904. 

A year later a famous poet, known as the poet of the Nile, "Hafez Ibrahim", wrote a beautiful poem about Japan on the occasion of the Japanese victory on Russia. Few years later, in 1923 the "Prince of Poetry", Ahmed Shawky, wrote a sympathetic poem with the victims of the disaster of Kanto Earthquake.

The relations of the two countries evolved on 1928 by establishing consulates in the two countries as a result of political recognition of Egypt's independence by Japan in 1922. Embassies were later established after the July 23rd, 1952, revolution in Egypt.

The signing of the cultural cooperation agreement between Egypt and Japan in 1957 led to the arrival of the first Egyptian student to Kyoto to study in Japan in 1958.

Since September 2007 until now, the Egyptian Embassy in Tokyo targeted the diversification of the cultural activities in order to increase the awareness of the Japanese public of contemporary Egypt to a level equal to the Japanese people's passion for ancient Egypt.

The cultural events and activities also continue throughout the year 2010 "The Year of Egypt Media Promotion in Japan". 

In November 2015, Egypt's ambassador to Japan Ismail Khairat said that Japan was committed to financing a solar power plant in Hurghada at a cost of $100 million, the first deal of its kind between the two countries in the renewable energy field. 

In June 2015, Egypt’s prime minister met the visiting Deputy Chief of Japan's Central Bank for International Cooperation and his accompanying delegation. The meeting was attended by Minister of Investment and Japanese Ambassador in Cairo. 

In November 2015, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry took part in a seminar organized by Japan Institute for International Affairs and floated Egypt's vision regards the Middle East issues. 

A large number of Japanese politicians, journalists and intellectuals took part in the event. Shoukry reviewed the latest political and economic developments in Egypt and its role in realizing stability in the region, its fight against terrorism as well as the relations between Egypt and Japan.

Source: MENA