Manila: Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty affirmed that Egypt is attaching growing importance to strengthening relations with Asian countries and developing its partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

According to State Information Service Egypt, Abdelatty made the remarks during a meeting on Thursday, July 23, 2026, with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Manila. The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Egypt and the bloc, support the institutional partnership framework, and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual concern. The Egyptian Foreign Minister praised the role played by the ASEAN Secretariat in promoting regional cooperation and consolidating dialogue and consensus among member states.

Abdelatty emphasized that Egypt's participation in the ASEAN ministerial meeting comes as part of efforts to build on the momentum witnessed in Egypt's relations with Asian countries and advance cooperation across various fields, while enhancing coordination on regional and global challenges.

He highlighted Egypt's interest in deepening its partnership with ASEAN through strengthening institutional ties with the bloc and expanding cooperation with its member states. Significant progress has been achieved in recent years at political, economic, and cultural levels.

The Minister expressed Egypt's readiness to boost cooperation with ASEAN in areas where it has extensive expertise, including capacity building, human development programs, technical training, joint manufacturing, media, disaster management, counterterrorism, climate action, and tourism.

Abdelatty also pointed out Egypt's strategic location and promising market, describing the country as a gateway to Arab and African markets, while highlighting investment opportunities, particularly in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), water desalination, and treatment projects.

He underscored the importance of expanding cultural cooperation, emphasizing the role of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in promoting values of moderation, tolerance, and dialogue, as well as the scholarships Egypt provides annually to students from ASEAN countries.

Additionally, he stressed the importance of strengthening tourism cooperation in light of Egypt's unique cultural and historical attractions, which could contribute to increasing mutual tourism flows and enhancing people-to-people ties.

For his part, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn praised the growing relations between Egypt and the bloc, describing Egypt as an important partner for ASEAN. He affirmed ASEAN's commitment to continuing coordination and cooperation with Egypt in a way that supports the bloc's engagement with external partners and serves the common interests of both sides.