CAIRO – 7 November 2024: Egypt’s Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, welcomed the President of Estonia, Alar Karis, and his accompanying delegation at the Cabinet headquarters in the New Administrative Capital. The two leaders held a meeting to discuss key issues of mutual interest and explore avenues for deepening bilateral cooperation.
During the meeting, Madbouly emphasized Egypt’s eagerness to enhance bilateral relations with Estonia, particularly in the fields of economy, trade, and investment. The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of increasing trade exchanges between the two countries and welcomed President Karis’ delegation of Estonian business leaders, showcasing Estonia’s interest in fostering closer economic ties with Egypt.
One of the main topics discussed was the expansion of collaboration in digital transformation. Madbouly expressed Egypt’s commitment to strengthening ties with Estonia in the areas of information technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.
This follows a successful visit by Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, to Estonia in 2021. Madbouly proposed continued cooperation in building human and institutional capacities in these fields through the exchange of expertise, scholarships, and training programs for Egypt’s talented workforce.
Madbouly also highlighted the successful cooperation between Egypt and Estonia in the tourism sector, particularly welcoming more Estonian tourists to Egypt’s famous destinations such as Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh. The Prime Minister underscored Egypt's commitment to developing further cooperation in tourism, which is crucial for both nations' economic growth.
In light of the growing ties between Egypt and Estonia, Dr. Madbouly stressed the importance of Estonia’s continued support for Egypt’s strategic partnership with the European Union, especially as Egypt faces the economic repercussions of geopolitical unrest in the Middle East, such as the ongoing Israeli-Gaza conflict. He expressed hope for continued European backing to help Egypt tackle these challenges, particularly as the Suez Canal revenue has seen a notable decline.
President Karis of Estonia expressed his delight at visiting Egypt for the first time on a bilateral level and highlighted Egypt’s remarkable development of the New Administrative Capital. He praised the strong momentum in the relationship between Egypt and Estonia and referred to the fruitful discussions with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on strengthening cooperation for mutual benefit.
He also noted the presence of a large Estonian business delegation, eager to form partnerships with Egyptian companies in sectors such as telecommunications, digitalization, and tourism. Karis emphasized Estonia’s competitive advantage in technology and its commitment to expanding cooperation with Egypt in these fields.
Additionally, President Karis spoke about the potential for collaboration between the two countries in the field of education, particularly the exchange of expertise and resources in educational systems. Both leaders discussed the challenges posed by global conflicts, including the ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon, which have led to severe economic repercussions worldwide, particularly affecting neighboring countries with increased refugee flows.
Estonian Deputy Minister for Economy and Innovation, Sandra Saraf-Tamos, who is leading the business delegation, highlighted key sectors for potential cooperation, including fintech, mining, education, digitalization, and transportation. She outlined that Estonian companies are already operating in Egypt and that several new businesses are seeking Egyptian partners.
The meeting also touched on the successful establishment of the Grand Egyptian Museum, with Madbouly sharing his experiences in recent meetings held at the museum, including discussions with Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and African Housing Ministers during the World Urban Forum in Cairo. He emphasized how attendees were impressed by the museum’s stunning location near the Great Pyramids of Giza.
Concluding the talks, Madbouly expressed his optimism for utilizing the current momentum in Egypt-Estonia relations to further strengthen ties and implement additional collaborative actions for mutual growth and development.
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