Cairo: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty stressed Egypt’s keenness to strengthen the frameworks of cooperation with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), given the importance that shipping and maritime transport represents for it, especially since the Suez Canal is considered one of the most vital global waterways and as the coastline of Egypt extends along the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

According to State Information Service Egypt, this came during his meeting with IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez, whom he welcomed on his first visit to Egypt since assuming his position. Abdelatty underlined Egypt’s great interest in the scope of the organization’s work, which includes issues related to shipping and maritime transport, discussing with Dominguez the repercussions of the Houthi attacks on commercial ships passing through Bab al-Mandab and the southern Red Sea, and their negative impact on Egyptian interests. He noted that these attacks have
harmed the Egyptian economy and caused severe losses in the Suez Canal revenues estimated at about six billion dollars.

The minister affirmed that Egypt will continue to play a leading role within the organization based on its membership in its Executive Council and its keen interest in the field of maritime transport. He said that Egypt looks forward to the opening of IMO’s regional office for Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa region in the city of Alexandria in the coming months. He noted that Egypt’s hosting of this office would enhance cooperation between the organization and the countries of the region and push it to broader horizons.