Pakistan, Egypt agree to boost defence ties

Islamabad, Dec 15 (UNI) Pakistan and Egypt today decided to boost defence ties as part of their policy to carry forward economic and political partnership.

A decision to the effect was reached at the talks held here at the foreign office between the visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and his Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri.

Gheit arrived here on Wednesday to attend the two-day second Pakistan-Egypt Joint Minister Commission (JMC) meeting, co-chaired by foreign ministers of the two countries.

We showed interest in forging cooperation with Pakistan in defence following a proposal made by Islamabad in this regard, Mr Gheit told a joint press conference with Mr Kasuri.

Egypt is one of the several countries in the Islamic world, which had attended the International Defence Exhibition (IDEAS-2006) in Karachi last month and expressed keen interest in buying military equipment from Pakistan.

Pakistan, whose defence exports crossed 200 million dollars this year, is indigenously manufacturing a wide variety of military equipment including light weight military trainer aircraft, main battle tanks, Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs), guns of different caliber, small submarines, missile boats and mine hunters.

Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) is set to start serial production of the medium-tech JF-17 (Thunder) combat aircraft from next year. Jointly conceived and manufactured by China and Pakistan, the aircraft had its maiden operational flight in the Chinese city of Chengdu in May this year.

Military experts of Pakistan and Egypt can identify areas of cooperation in defence as and when they meet in future, Mr Kasuri said elaborating contours of collaboration between the two countries.

Describing Egypt as one of the most important countries in the Islamic world, Mr Kasuri said the militaries of the two countries should also collaborate with each other in research and development and buying and selling eqipment from each other.

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