By Manal Abdel Fattah
The Philippine Ambassador to Cairo, Ezz El-Din Tajo, said that the Philippine Embassy in Cairo is considered the first Philippine mission to be established in the Middle East and Africa, adding, “We have exceptional diplomatic and political relations with Egypt.”
He explained that the two countries are founding members of the United Nations, share the same positions in various multilateral organizations, and we have the same aspirations for our people, and we aim to achieve peace and prosperity for our nation.
This came during his speech, at a ceremony organized by the Philippine Embassy on the occasion of the 126th anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence, under the slogan (Freedom. Future. History).
The ambassador continued: On this basis, we are committed to pushing our bilateral relations forward in various fields, thanking Ambassador Ahmed Shaheen, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Asian Affairs, and the Egyptian government and society for their cooperation in reaching these goals.
The ambassador thanked the Egyptian government for its continued humanitarian stances, especially during the recent conflicts in Sudan and Gaza.
He stressed that Egypt helped the Philippines evacuate Filipinos from Sudan and Gaza to safe places, and also continues to provide assistance and hospitality to everyone.
The ambassador pointed out that Filipino Muslims have been studying at Al-Azhar University for decades, as the number of current students at Al-Azhar is about 250 students.
