Egypt’s Foreign Minister Delivers Letter from President Sisi to Japan’s Prime Minister

وزير الخارجية.

Dr. Badr Abdel Aty, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, met with Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations and exchange views on various regional and international developments of mutual interest.

During the meeting, Minister Abdel Aty conveyed greetings from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to Prime Minister Takaichi and delivered a written message that addressed enhancing the strategic partnership between the two friendly nations in the upcoming period. He praised the remarkable development in Egyptian-Japanese relations since the announcement of their strategic partnership in April 2023, expressing hopes for further advancement in cooperation mechanisms.

According to Ambassador Tamim Khalaf, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the discussions included enhancing cooperation in economic and investment sectors. Minister Abdel Aty emphasized that Egypt offers strategic solutions for Japanese companies looking to diversify their production centers and supply chains amid global economic challenges and geopolitical tensions.

He highlighted Egypt’s progress in improving its investment environment due to an economic reform program implemented over recent years. He expressed hope for the support of Prime Minister Takaichi and the Japanese government in encouraging Japanese businesses to invest more across various sectors in Egypt.

Regarding industrial and technological sectors, the Foreign Minister underscored the importance of leveraging Japanese expertise to support Egypt’s economic development efforts while expanding cooperation in innovation, scientific research, and digital transformation.

He also emphasized Egypt’s strategic location as a gateway for manufacturing and export to Arab, African, and European markets, given its extensive network of free trade agreements with these regions.

In this context, he expressed a desire to establish a Japanese industrial zone within the Suez Canal Economic Zone that would allow Japanese companies to benefit from direct and indirect investment incentives offered by the zone.

The spokesperson noted that the Foreign Minister reiterated the significance of the distinguished developmental partnership between Egypt and Japan. He expressed hopes for continued collaboration based on shared achievements, particularly in education, health, transportation, energy, and sustainable development.

He pointed out the importance of ongoing cooperation on joint developmental projects, including support for the Egyptian-Japanese University of Science and Technology and vocational training initiatives aimed at transferring Japanese expertise and enhancing human capital development in Egypt.

The discussions also touched upon opportunities for trilateral cooperation among Egypt, Japan, and African countries. The Foreign Minister highlighted Egypt’s role as a key gateway to Africa as a promising framework for fostering joint collaboration across the continent.

Moreover, he reviewed preparations underway for hosting Egypt’s inaugural “Alamein – Africa Business Forum” later this month. He affirmed that this forum would serve as an important platform for enhancing trade and investment partnerships across Africa.

He invited Japan to actively participate in the forum and take advantage of promising investment opportunities available within African markets.

The meeting also involved exchanging views on regional and international issues where Minister Abdel Aty elaborated on Egypt’s efforts aimed at de-escalation and achieving calm in the Middle East region while addressing ongoing conflicts. He briefed Prime Minister Takaichi on Egypt’s perspective regarding developments in Gaza, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa.

In response, Prime Minister Takaichi expressed her deep appreciation for the profound Egyptian-Japanese relations which have shown notable progress across various fronts. She also acknowledged Egypt’s relentless efforts towards de-escalation aimed at supporting security and stability within the region.