Istanbul: Minister of Transport, Lieutenant General Kamel El-Wazir, participated in a ministerial dialogue session at the 5th Turkish Maritime Summit alongside Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu. El-Wazir emphasized the importance of Egyptian-Turkish cooperation in regional development through joint port development projects, cross-border railway lines, and the launch of new logistics corridors. These initiatives, he noted, are crucial for enhancing intra-regional trade and opening new markets.
According to State Information Service Egypt, El-Wazir outlined Egypt's vision to become more than just a major transit route for global trade. He explained that the country aims to transform into a regional hub for transport, logistics, and transit trade. This ambition is supported by a comprehensive program to develop a multimodal transport system, which includes eight international logistics corridors designed to strengthen connectivity with the Gulf states, the Levant, and North and Central Africa, ultimately linking to European and Asian markets.
El-Wazir also highlighted efforts to leverage Egypt's strategic geographic location and integrated logistics corridors to facilitate trade between Europe and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. This is being achieved through two main routes: the North Arabian Trade Corridor and the South Arabian Trade Corridor. Furthermore, he underscored Egypt's integration with international initiatives such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and the Belt and Road Initiative.
In his closing remarks, El-Wazir revealed Egypt's commitment to addressing transportation challenges through long-term investment. This includes transforming ports into smart logistics hubs, localizing maritime industries, supporting the transition to green shipping, and modernizing the legislative framework governing the port sector. He affirmed that Egypt aims to be a key partner in reshaping the future of maritime transport and global supply chains.