Cairo: Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty engaged in discussions with the Philippines' Secretary of Trade and Industry Cristina Aldeguer-Roque, focusing on enhancing bilateral trade, investment, and economic cooperation. These talks took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the discussions explored new avenues of cooperation to serve the common interests of both countries. Minister Abdelatty emphasized Egypt's keen interest in deepening economic and trade ties with the Philippines and the ASEAN region. The meetings aimed to capitalize on the momentum in Egypt's relations with Asian countries by expanding trade, investment, and broader economic cooperation.
Abdelatty highlighted Egypt's strategic location and its extensive network of free trade agreements, which make it a gateway to African, Arab, and European markets. He expressed Egypt's readiness to expand commercial cooperation with the Philippines across various sectors, including agricultural commodities, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and food products. Furthermore, Abdelatty called for exploring new investment and business opportunities to elevate economic relations between the two nations.
In a bid to facilitate business engagement, Abdelatty proposed the establishment of a joint Egypt-Philippines Business Council. This initiative aims to facilitate business delegations, organize trade missions, and promote direct business-to-business (B2B) engagement, showcasing Egypt's investment opportunities and incentives while encouraging new partnerships across multiple sectors.
Secretary Aldeguer-Roque reaffirmed the Philippines' interest in strengthening economic cooperation with Egypt. She noted that the Egyptian market offers promising opportunities for trade and investment, and expressed Manila's eagerness to continue coordinating with Cairo to advance bilateral economic and commercial relations, ultimately serving the mutual interests of both countries.