The Egypt-Eritrea Business Forum was held on Saturday, May 16th, with the participation of Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptian Expatriates; Mr. Hagos Gebrehiwet, the Economic Advisor to the Eritrean President; Mr. Osman Saleh, Eritrean Minister of Foreign Affairs; and the Eritrean Minister of Trade and Industry.
The forum aimed at exploring means to strengthen economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries, and building upon the growing momentum witnessed at the level of bilateral relations.
Minister Abdelatty referred to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s directives to bolster economic and trade cooperation with Eritrea across all sectors in order to achieve both countries’ mutual interests.
He expressed appreciation for the recent visit held by the Eritrean President’s Economic Advisor and the Eritrean Minister of Trade and Industry to Cairo, and the fruitful meetings conducted with the Egyptian side.
Further, the Foreign Minister reaffirmed the commitment to building upon the positive outcomes of that visit, which is reflected in holding the ongoing visit, accompanied by the Egyptian Minister of Transport, and a large number of businessmen and representatives of the Egyptian private sector.
This visit aims at maintaining the remarkable momentum existing at the level of bilateral relations and opening new horizons for economic and investment cooperation between Egypt and Eritrea.
Minister Abdelatty also emphasized the commitment to bolstering bilateral cooperation across various fields, particularly economy, investment, trade, industry, and development.
The Minister highlighted key areas such as transport, construction, pharmaceuticals, mining, and fisheries, as well as railways and logistics. This cooperation, he noted, supports Eritrean national efforts aimed at advancing the development path, and contributes to realizing the aspirations of both peoples.
Dr. Abdelatty further underscored the importance of maintaining programs of technical assistance, capacity-building, and training to qualify Eritrean cadres in various sectors. He also stressed the necessity of supporting the participation of the Egyptian private sector in the Eritrean market and enhancing access for Egyptian exports, thereby advancing economic development efforts and contributing to the achievement of regional integration.
For his part, the Eritrean President’s Economic Advisor expressed his country’s appreciation for the momentum witnessed at the level of relations with Egypt. He also affirmed the Eritrea’s keenness on continued joint efforts with Egypt in order to leverage Egyptian accumulated expertise in supporting development and reconstruction efforts and achieving mutual interests.
The meeting also included an expanded discussion between representatives of Egyptian and Eritrean companies about available investment opportunities, means to launch joint projects, and mechanisms to overcome obstacles facing the business community.
In this context, Minister Abdelatty asserted the Egyptian state’s keenness to provide all forms of support to Egyptian companies and enhance communication with the relevant Eritrean authorities, in a manner that contributes to consolidating the economic partnership between the two countries and achieving economic integration in the Horn of Africa.
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