Egyptian Ambassador Reda EL-Taify contributed the following article on the occasion of Egyptian National Day which falls on July 23 _ ED.
I would like, at the outset, to express my thanks and gratitude to The Korea Times for giving me this opportunity to address Korean readers and friends on the occasion of National Day of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
This year, Egypt celebrates the 55th anniversary of its National Day to commemorate its glorious revolution which dates back to July 23, 1952, a unique revolution which peacefully changed the course of history in Egypt, most of the Arab world, as well as Africa.
Thanks to this revolution, the homeland's independence and dignity were restored and the banners of freedom and independence were spread all over the third world.
Amongst all civilizations and nations, Egypt has always maintained a unique position.
Geographically, Egypt enjoys a distinguished location at the juncture of Africa, Asia and Europe. It has always been a place of interaction and cultural exchange between the East and the West as well as the North and the South.
The history of Egypt is considered by many as the history of the human civilization in which ancient Egyptians introduced and created a civilization that lead the fields of science, arts and architecture.
Over the course of history, Egypt witnessed a series of civilizations. Egypt was a cradle for the Pharaohnic, Greco Roman, Coptic and Islamic civilizations.
Egypt is also a source of pride for its people. Four Egyptians have been awarded the Noble Prize: President Sadat and IAEA Director General Mohamed Elbaradei for peace; Mahfouz for literature; and Zowiel for science. ^A prominent Egyptian diplomat, Boutros Ghali, held the top position of the United Nations as secretary general.
Egypt has had a parliament and political parties since the 19th century. Egypt possesses the largest number of universities in the Middle East and Africa. The Library of Alexandria is playing an essential role as one of the biggest centers of culture and dialogue in the Middle East and Africa.
Egypt is a modern symbol full of noble meaning of human coexistence and cooperation, a call to terminate violence, tension and all sorts of terrorism that is collectively refused by all civilizations and denied by all religions and nations.
Today, Egypt lives a new phase of political and economic development aiming at further deepening democratic practices and enhancing freedom, as well as the development of a market driven economy led by the private sector.
Political reform has been the single issue dominating Egyptian politics since mid-2004. In February 2005, an announcement by President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak that the Constitution would be amended to allow multi-candidate presidential elections _ for the first time ever _ was a first step in this direction.
Presidential elections took place according to the new amendment in October 2005, where President Mubarak was reelected for a new term. Parliamentary elections were held at the end of 2005, in which the opposition parties won over 30 percent of the vote.
Another Constitutional amendment also took place in March 2006 with the aim of redressing the balance of power between the Cabinet and parliament with regard to the presidency by giving ministers and lawmakers more authority and independence.
The economic reform program that was launched in the 1990s bore fruit, the growth rate has increased, inflation has been dealt with and the main macro-economic indicators are performing well.
Egypt and Korea have enjoyed cordial and friendly relations since the 1960s. Bilateral relations have witnessed great momentum since the successful visit of President Mubarak to Seoul in 1999, which has been reciprocated by President Roh Moo-hyun to Egypt in March 2006.
Thanks to the political will of the two countries trade volume reached $1.3 billion in 2006 compared with $120 million in 1980 and according to statistics of the first five months of this year, trade volume has already reached $855 million. If this trend continues, we can predict that trade volume will reach $2 billion by the end of 2007.
Korean investment in Egypt totaled almost $200 million in 2006 in several sectors such as petrochemicals, electronics, textiles, automobiles and construction _ an increase from a mere $20 million in the early 1990s.
The culture sector is one of the most active sectors in the relations between the two countries and is constantly developing. Egypt has lately become a very attractive destination for many Korean tourists.
The flow of Korean tourists is witnessing a large increase from 28,000 tourists in 2003 to more than 60,000 in 2006 and is expected to grow in light of the diverse tourism offerings that Egypt can provide to tourists.
The relations between Egypt and Korea are not limited only to trade, investments and culture, as we have a good exchange in the international arena as well.
Our views on many issues affecting the modern world are very similar due to a continual process of coordination and cooperation at the international level. This process is also conducted at the highest level, which reflects the excellent relations that exist between the two countries.
In this context, President Mubarak received a telephone call from President Roh on June 30, 2007 during which the two leaders explored ways to improve bilateral relations and have also exchanged views regarding current international and regional issues of mutual concern.
I am convinced that although many achievements have been realized in most fields of cooperation between Egypt and Korea in the past few years, there is still a huge potential for further deepening and strengthening our bilateral relations, especially in the fields of trade, investment and tourism.
^I would like to conclude by emphasizing that future cooperation between our two countries is promising and to call upon all those involved to work for further development of these excellent bilateral ties.