On July 23, H. E. Mr. Nader Saad, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Republic of Bulgaria,

hosted a reception in honor of the country's national holiday at the "Diamond" Hall of the Ramada Hotel in Sofia. On this date, the Egyptian people commemorate the Revolution Day of 1952, an event that marked the beginning of the path toward national independence and the modernization of the Egyptian nation.

The event gathered numerous guests, including officials, representatives of Bulgarian institutions, ambassadors, diplomats, cultural figures, journalists, and friends of Egypt. H. E. Mr. Nader Saad addressed them with a welcoming speech:

It is my honor and pleasure to welcome you here, as we celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the Egyptian revolution of 1952. The revolution which crowned the struggle of the Egyptian people to eradicate colonialism and foreign domination, established the first republic of our state and changed the political dynamics drastically not only in Egypt, but in the entire region. 

Since we celebrate this important occasion here in the beautiful country of Bulgaria, I would like to refer with happiness to the unprecedented positive developments which took place few months ago on bilateral level. On the 10th of February 2024, the First Session of the Joint Commission between Egypt and Bulgaria was convened in Cairo, with a high level participation of six Bulgarian Ministers.

That event was culminated by signing a memorandum of understanding for cooperation between defense ministries, and another memorandum in the field of natural gas, in addition to visa exemption agreement for diplomatic and service passports. 

It is worth noting that Egypt is still keeping its unique place as the largest trade partner of Bulgaria in the Middle East and Africa, with a total trade volume which exceeds 1.2 billion USD. 

Honorable guests

Ladies and gentlemen,

This year, the relations between Egypt and the EU marked a new milestone, as on the 17^th of March 2024, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the European Union have agreed to elevate their relationship to the level of a strategic and comprehensive partnership. Accordingly, the EU announced that it would provide Egypt with a financing package worth 7.4 billion Euros between the years 2024 and 2027.

In this context, the EU-Egypt Investment Conference was held in Cairo on the 29^th and 30^th of June 2024. The conference witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the disbursement of up to 1 billion Euros in Macro-Financial Assistance to Egypt, and it also witnessed the signing of 29 agreements and memoranda of understanding worth 49 billion Euros with companies affiliated with the European Union.

Those agreements included projects in areas such as green hydrogen, electric vehicles, infrastructure, sustainable transportation and information technology.

Excellencies

Honorable guests

Ladies and gentlemen,

Proudly serving as an Ambassador of Egypt, I don’t have the luxury of delivering a speech that would ignore the current crisis in the Middle East. 

Here I would like to mention that since the first day of the war against Gaza Strip, Egypt supported each and every effort aimed at ending the war, achieving an immediate and lasting cease-fire, exchanging prisoners and hostages, and ensuring full access to humanitarian aid.

We also exerted endless efforts in mediation attempts to reach an agreement to stop the war in Gaza, the war which killed till now more than 39 000 Palestinians, 70% of them are women and children. 

No words would explain the current crisis better than what was said by the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, during one of his recent visits to the region.

 He said and I quote:

"The scale and speed of the death and destruction are on an entirely different level. 

Starvation is bearing down on Palestinians in Gaza. 

There is a growing consciousness around the world that all of this must stop.

The fighting must end now, the hostages must be released now, and we must not lose sight of the big picture.

A lasting end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only come through a two-State solution."

Ladies and Gentelmen,

Egypt welcomes and highly appreciates the recent decisions of Norway, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia to recognize the State of Palestine.

To those four European countries, as well as to all the countries which recognized the Palestinian State, we must say thank you.

Thank you for your strong support to issues of justice and freedom.

Thank you for putting humanity before politics, and ethics before pragmatic interests. 

And thank you for being on the right side of history. 

Before I conclude, I would like to convey Egypt’s full solidarity with our dear Bulgarians who got affected by the wildfires, and I assure you that my country stands ready to support the tireless efforts exerted by the relevant Bulgarian authorities in this regard.

Finally, I express my gratitude and thanks to all of you, for being here with us in this special day marking 72 years after the Egyptian revolution, noting that this year marks 98 years of diplomatic relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Republic of Bulgaria.

LONG LIVE BULGARIA

LONG LIVE EGYPT 

Following the emotional words of H. E. Mr. Nader Saad, the guests continued to engage in lively conversations. They also viewed the exhibition located in the foyer outside the hall, which featured valuable artifacts - most of them symbols of ancient Egyptian civilization.

The photos were provided by the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the Republic of Bulgaria. Above: H. E. Mr. Nader Saad, the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Republic of Bulgaria