President Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin met yesterday, Wednesday 25 March / 29 Adar, with the Ambassdor of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the State of Israel, Khaled Azmi, marking the 41st anniversary of the Israel-Egypt Peace treaty, which falls tomorrow, and in light of the coronavirus which is affecting the region

“Tomorrow, we mark 41 years since the signing of the historic peace treaty between our countries, an agreement that is a central component of regional stability as a whole,” said the president, adding that his door is always open for discussions with President a-Sisi.

The president noted that the coronavirus makes no distinctions for national borders, and that international cooperation is vital in fighting it. He stressed that Israel is open to any initiative for joint action between experts in the fields of health, economics and crisis management that benefits the future of the peoples of the region.

The president also spoke about the importance of continued cooperation between the two countries in the field of energy, with attention to the security of the gas pipeline in Sinai. President Rivlin asked to send his warmest wishes to the Coptic community in Egypt ahead of the Easter holiday, which will be celebrated in a more limited way this year because of the virus.

The ambassador thanked the president for his remarks and said that the peace treaty was indeed a significant milestone that ensures the security of our region. The ambassador briefed the president on the spread of the coronavirus in his country and the ways it is being dealt with, stressing that international cooperation has a significant role to play in fighting the disease and limiting its spread.