Egypt, Japan pledge to help reach political resolutions to the ongoing Afghan conflict: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi said their countries will work to restore peace in Afghanistan after the Taliban poured into the capital and other major cities in the country, Motegi told a press conference yesterday (watch, runtime: 18:45). This came following Motegi’s sitdown with Shoukry and President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, during which they discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of tech, energy, and transport, as well as the in-progress Grand Egyptian Museum, according to an Ittihadeya statement. Motegi is on the first leg of a 10-day Middle East tour that will also take him to Israel and Palestine, where he is expected to urge both sides to resume peace talks.

Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly discussed yesterday ways to boost Egypt-Somalia cooperation and trade ties with his Somali counterpart Mohamed Hussein Roble: During his first visit to Cairo, Roble expressed his desire to increase the number of direct EgyptAir flights to Mogadishu to facilitate trade and the movement of individuals between the two countries, according to a cabinet statement. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has instructed officials to double the number of annual scholarships granted to Somali students to 400, PM Madbouly said, in addition to increasing the supply of medical conveys and aid to the Somali government.