Egypt's PM, Lebanese ministers talk boosting cooperation

CAIRO - 5 September 2019: Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade Mansour Bteish conveyed the greetings of Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri to the latter's Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouli, during a meeting on Thursday.

Bteish praised Madbouli's latest visit to Lebanon in May to participate in the meetings of the joint supreme committee between the two countries, Egyptian Cabinet's spokesman said.

The Lebanese minister said that his country always looks forward to enhancing bilateral relations with Egypt, especially in light of the historic, cultural and commercial ties between the two countries.

During their meeting, Bteish discussed the economic situation witnessed recently by Lebanon, which is partially blamed on the disturbed regional circumstances. He also affirmed his country's keenness to benefit from the successful Egyptian expertise reform program, and to enhance bilateral economic and commercial ties.

Lebanese Minister of State for Information Technology (IT) Affairs Adel Afiouni, who also attended the meeting, referred to the availability of cooperation opportunities between Egypt and Lebanon in various promising fields, including information technology, to benefit from the experience both countries have in this domain.

For his part, Madbouli hailed the advanced level of cooperation and coordination between the two states, stressing Egypt's full support to the stability and security of Lebanon, in light of the hard regional circumstance around Lebanon.

Madbouli said that he earlier affirmed, in a meeting with Hariri, that Egypt is ready to provide all its experience in developmental fields, which represent a priority for Lebanese people.

The Egyptian prime minister also instructed continuing coordination between relevant ministers of both sides during the next period, to develop cooperation in various fields of mutual concern, and provide all forms of technical support to Lebanon, which would enable facing the current economic challenges.