Egypt: Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation Discusses Ways to Strengthen Bilateral Relations with Ukrainian Minister of Agriculture
H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, met with Vitaly Kovaly, Ukrainian Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food, in the presence of Mykola Nahornyi, Ukrainian Ambassador to Cairo, Taras Kachka, Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Economy, and a number of officials. The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between the two countries in line with shared development priorities and their close bilateral ties.
At the beginning of the meeting, H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat expressed appreciation to the Ukrainian minister for his visit to Egypt, emphasizing the country’s keenness to strengthen cooperation with Ukraine.
H.E. Minister Al-Mashat noted that the Egyptian government is committed to develop relations with Ukraine in various fields, increase trade exchange, explore investment opportunities available in Egypt for Ukrainian companies, and find ways to increase Egyptian investments in Ukraine.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat pointed out that Ukraine is a key trade partner for Egypt, noting that the Egyptian-Ukrainian Joint Committee for Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation provides a framework for advancing bilateral cooperation. This committee makes decisions to facilitate trade exchange, strengthen relations between the private sectors of both countries, and create an environment conducive to businesspeople contributing to achieving development plans and boosting investments. It also aims to increase cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
H.E. Minister Al-Mashat co-chaired the eighth session of the Egyptian-Ukrainian Joint Committee with the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, aiming to enhance cooperation in priority sectors. The session also witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between Egypt and Ukraine in the fields of standardization, specifications, and quality, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding in the space sector.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat highlighted the Suez Canal Economic Zone, which is a significant logistical area. She affirmed that many countries have their own zones for export and manufacturing, inviting those countries to visit Egypt to closely explore the advantages of the Suez Canal.
H.E. Minister Al-Mashat explained that the presence of silos in the region could serve as a hub for storing Ukrainian grain and re-exporting it to neighboring countries, especially those in Africa.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat confirmed that the government has been expanding silo infrastructure to secure the country’s needs for wheat and grain and enhance Egypt’s capabilities as a logistical center for grain storage and export. She also mentioned the inauguration of the West Port Said Port silo in 2021, which was funded by development partners, further boosting Egypt’s capacity in this area.
H.E. Minister Al-Mashat emphasized Egypt’s efforts to expand its industrial base and foster domestic industries, which are key components of the Egyptian economy.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat mentioned that this could pave the way for strong partnerships between both sides, benefiting from Ukraine’s expertise in several industries. Egyptian and Ukrainian companies could jointly develop projects in agriculture, including seed production, farming, and food manufacturing.
H.E. Minister Al-Mashat also highlighted Egypt’s strong partnerships with several development partners, including the European Union and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which could further enhance cooperation between the two countries by encouraging private sector investments.
The meeting also covered cooperation in tourism, where Ukraine is considered one of Egypt’s main tourism partners, with the number of Ukrainian tourists reaching as high as 1.5 million annually at times.
On his part, the Ukrainian minister expressed his keenness to explore the possibility of establishing a logistics zone in Egypt to serve as a hub for Ukrainian exports to Africa. He also expressed interest in visiting the Suez Canal Economic Zone and enhancing business partnerships between the two countries.
The Ukrainian minister highlighted the mutual interest in several key areas, particularly agriculture, which is a major sector in Ukraine, contributing 59% of foreign exchange earnings. He pointed out that Ukraine’s agricultural exports reached $24.6 billion, providing millions of jobs. This sector could represent a vital opportunity for partnership with Egypt and for increasing trade exchanges.
He added that Ukrainian agricultural exports to Egypt grew by 32% last year, reaching $1.4 billion, and total agricultural exports to Africa amounted to $2.6 billion.
He affirmed that Ukraine views Egypt as a gateway for its exports to Africa and stressed his country’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Egypt in many priority areas, leveraging Egypt’s strategic location to increase Ukrainian exports to Africa.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation – Egypt.
