El-Sisi's remarks came during his meeting on Sunday with the members of the new General Secretariat of FAJ, headed by Moayad Al-Lami, the president of the federation and the head of the Iraqi Journalists’ Syndicate.

Diaa Rashwan, head of the Egyptian Syndicate of Journalists and the honorary president of FAJ, and Karam Gabr, head of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, El-Sisi ordered allocating a new building for the Cairo-based federation and announced his support for the federation's preparations to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its founding, Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported, citing a statement by the Iraqi Journalists’ Syndicate.

El-Sisi also praised the development of Egyptian-Iraqi relations on all levels and hailed FAJ’s role in advancing Arab media and unifying the media discourse.

During the elections that took place in Cairo in October, Al-Lami was elected as president of FAJ for the second time and Rashwan was elected as the honorary president of the federation.

During the meeting, El-Sisi highlighted the need for Arab journalism in particular to continue modernising its role and to adapt, especially in light of the challenges to journalism posed by the wide spreading of social media, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.

The president affirmed the need for journalism to strike a balance between the requirements of competitiveness and the depth and objectivity that characterise journalistic work.

El-Sisi also affirmed that journalism should contribute to developing a serious and effective vision to tackle the common challenges facing Arab countries, most importantly achieving  peace, stability, and comprehensive economic and social development.

He highlighted the importance of words as a great responsibility due to its impact on shaping public awareness and people’s minds.

El-Sisi also underscored Egypt’s unwavering stance towards Arab issues and its keenness to uphold Arab solidarity and consolidate national institutions.

The president also stressed rejection of interference in the domestic affairs of any country and affirmed Egypt's commitment to relations with other countries based on good neighbourliness and on strengthening the bonds of brotherhood and love between Arab peoples.

El-Sisi affirmed the importance of collaborative Arab effort in dealing with existing crises and in focusing the efforts aiming to resolve them  peacefully. He stressed the importance of promoting the vital interests of Arab peoples and conserving their resources at a time when the global system faces so many challenges.

In a statement by FAJ, Al-Lami hailed the federation’s meeting with El-Sisi, saying it gave the federation a “true impetus to play its full role after the election of the new general secretariat”.