SINGAPORE - President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has congratulated Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on his re-election.

On Dec 18, Mr Sisi secured a third term in office, until 2030.

In a letter to Mr Sisi on Dec 19, President Tharman said: “The strong mandate that you received is especially important in the midst of the conflicts in the region and the key role that Egypt plays in both coordinating humanitarian aid into Gaza and in the pursuit of peace.

“Singapore and Egypt enjoy a warm and longstanding partnership, underpinned by strong political, economic and people-to-people ties.”

He added that the cooperation between the two countries has expanded into areas such as civil aviation and tourism.

“I look forward to continuing to work with you to further enhance bilateral ties,” President Tharman said.

Mr Sisi was first elected president in 2014, and re-elected in 2018, both times with 97 per cent of the vote.

Egypt’s Constitution was amended in 2019, extending the presidential term to six years from four, and allowing Mr Sisi to stand for a third term.

The 2023 polls, however, took place as Egypt struggles with an economic crisis and tries to manage the risk of spillover from the war in Gaza, which borders Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

The armed conflict between Israel and Hamas started when Hamas-led groups attacked Israel on Oct 7, killing more than a thousand people and taking scores of hostages.

Israel has since launched waves of retaliatory strikes against Hamas in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of nearly 20,000 Palestinians, with almost two million displaced.

British foreign minister David Cameron will travel to Jordan and Egypt this week to push for a sustainable ceasefire and further humanitarian pauses in Gaza.