Direct flights between Cairo, Baku may launch soon, ambassador says

Regular direct flights between Cairo and Baku may be launched in the near future, Egyptian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Hossam El Din Effat Mostafa Reda said at a reception marking Egypt's National Day, Report informs.

"I hope - and I am almost certain - that our shared aspirations to launch regular direct air service between Cairo and Baku will soon become a reality. This will provide an important foundation for the further development of bilateral relations," the diplomat said.

According to him, direct flights would help expand cooperation between the two countries in tourism, trade, culture and business ties.

The ambassador also said Egypt continues working to make the country more accessible to Azerbaijani citizens. Azerbaijani citizens can currently obtain visas on arrival at all entry points in Egypt, not only in Sharm El-Sheikh.

At the same time, the diplomat expressed hope that similar visa facilitation measures would be introduced in the future for Egyptian citizens visiting Azerbaijan.

Speaking about humanitarian cooperation, Hossam El Din Effat Mostafa Reda said many Azerbaijanis have heard of Egypt but do not know the country well enough.

"Almost every Azerbaijani I meet says, 'Of course, we know Egypt.' But as the conversation continues, we usually reach the same conclusion: people have heard a lot about Egypt, but they do not truly know it," he said.

The ambassador said a large-scale program would be launched through the embassy and cultural center to promote Egypt and present different aspects of life in the country.

"I hope that by the end of my stay in Baku, our peoples will know each other much better. I am deeply convinced that mutual knowledge is a necessary condition for successful business and shared prosperity," he said.

He also noted strong interest among the Azerbaijani public in the live broadcast of the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, held at the Heydar Aliyev Center in November last year. According to him, the event was made possible thanks to the support of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the assistance of Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.