ISLAMABAD(National times)- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and praised Pakistan’s “positive and proactive contributions” to the Muslim world, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday. During the meeting, held at Itihadia Presidential Palace in Cairo, both leaders reaffirmed the longstanding friendship between Pakistan and Egypt, expressing their commitment to strengthen bilateral relations across various fields, including socio-economic cooperation, technology, and security, as per the military’s media wing. It said Field Marshal Munir lauded Egypt’s leadership for its role in maintaining peace and stability in the region, while President el-Sisi underlined the importance of enhanced coordination on matters of mutual strategic interest and fostering stronger people-to-people ties. The meeting concluded on a warm note, with both sides expressing confidence that sustained engagement and cooperation would contribute significantly to regional peace and prosperity. Both leaders reaffirm commitment to deepen Pakistan-Egypt cooperation in security, economic and strategic domains, the military’s media wing added. The field marshal is on official visit to Egypt, aimed at enhancing military cooperation and defence collaboration between the two countries, the ISPR said. Earlier, COAS Munir also held meetings with Egyptian Minister of Defence General Abdul Maged Saqar and Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Ahmed Khalifa Fatehi. “Discussions focused on regional security, mutual interests, and avenues for deeper defence collaboration,” the military’s media wing added. Later, Field Marshal Munir met Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed El Tayeb at Mashaikhat Al Azhar Al Sharif. The Grand Imam shared his views on challenges confronting the Muslim Ummah, while the COAS emphasised the need to eradicate extremist ideologies and distorted interpretations of Islam.