CAIRO, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan on Saturday, during which they agreed to boost bilateral trade and spur Singaporean investment in the North African country.

During the meeting, Shoukry emphasized Egypt's strong commitment to maximizing the benefits for Singaporean companies from investment opportunities within Egypt, according to a statement from the Egyptian foreign ministry.

For his part, Balakrishnan expressed his country's keenness to enhance trade exchange and Singaporean investments in Egypt, adding that Singapore strives to strengthen cooperation with Egypt in the fields of renewable energy, agriculture, and tourism.

The two ministers also discussed the establishment of a joint business council aimed at bolstering cooperation between private sector representatives from both countries.

They also addressed several regional and international issues of common interest, most notably the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. Both ministers underlined the need to advance efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire.

The two sides also discussed the Red Sea crisis, which poses serious threats to international navigation and shipping, the statement said.

The Singaporean top diplomat stressed that the safe and sustainable flow of navigation through the Suez Canal is a supreme interest for his country, emphasizing the canal is "the ideal means of transporting his country's private trade to Europe." Enditem

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