Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty underscored on Friday Japan’s ongoing support for significant development projects in Egypt and collaboration in the field of education.
He emphasized his country’s eagerness to expand areas of bilateral cooperation by including artificial intelligence, governance, and collaboration between institutions and research centers for the exchange and transfer of expertise, as well as boosting Japanese tourism to Egypt.
Abdelatty met on Friday with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of his participation in the ministerial meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD).
Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, said the minister conveyed President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s greetings and appreciation for Kishida’s role in elevating the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership level.
The Japanese premier, for his part, stated that Egypt was an extremely important partner for his country, being “a major regional player with a crucial role in the Middle East.”
Abdelatty emphasized Cairo’s commitment to boosting economic and trade relations, noting the importance of increasing Japanese investment in the Egyptian market and Egypt’s success in attracting significant projects despite regional and global economic challenges and regional instability.
The discussions between Abdelatty and Kishida covered Egypt’s efforts on various fronts to resume negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire agreement and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
The FM underscored his country’s firm stance against “escalation policies, assassinations, and violations of state sovereignty practiced by Israel,” while Kishida noted that Japan “is watching the situation in the region with deep concern.”
He stated that “continued escalation will not serve anyone’s interests,” expressing Tokyo’s support for Cairo’s efforts to reach a viable solution.
In another meeting in Tokyo with the Egyptian-Japanese Business Council, Abdelatty stressed that Egypt is making steady and rapid economic progress despite global economic crises and the challenges posed by regional disruptions.
This has led to increased competitiveness of the Egyptian economy and boosted private sector involvement and the mobilization of more foreign direct investment.
He also highlighted his country’s efforts to become a regional hub for supply chains for European companies, as well as for the transport and trading of renewable and green energy.
