CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has urged greater cooperation with Latvia and continued coordination on issues of common interest. It came during a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics, in the presence of Sameh Shoukry, Egypt’s foreign minister. The official spokesman for the Presidency of the Republic, ambassador Bassam Rady, said that El-Sisi welcomed Rinkevics’ visit to Egypt, and requested him to convey his greetings to both the president and prime minister of Latvia. The Latvian foreign minister affirmed his country"s keenness to advance aspects of joint cooperation with Egypt, especially in light of Cairo’s pivotal role in the Middle East, the Mediterranean and Africa. Rady said that a number of files related to bilateral cooperation were reviewed, and that El-Sisi welcomed the activities of a number of Latvian companies in Egypt. He urged new cooperation between the two countries, especially in fields in which Latvia has distinguished expertise, such as communications, information technology, education and tourism. The meeting also touched on a number of regional and international files of common interest, as well as the challenges facing African and European countries, including illegal immigration and terrorism. The two sides also discussed and exchanged visions on developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and its negative effects on the global economy.