Egypt eyes investment in 3 basic sectors in South Sudan

CAIRO – 10 July 2022: Egypt's Ambassador to Juba Moataz Mostafa Abdel Qader met earlier this week with South Sudanese Minister of Trade and Industry Kuol Athian as the country eyes investment opportunities in the neighboring state's sectors of animal and fish production, food processing, mining, and pharmaceuticals.

The two sides also conferred over enhancing the legal framework of trade exchange and industrial cooperation as well as the delivery of vocational training programmes by Egypt to South Sudanese professionals.

The ambassador and the minister expressed a desire to build on the MoU signed in 2021 to bolster economic cooperation, and to hold a second edition of "Made in Egypt" fair, which took place last year in South Sudan.

However, the most significant milestone in bilateral relations until present remains the entry of the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) into the South Sudanese market in June 2022.

In that context, Minister Athian said he looked forward to further discussions during the second convention of the Supreme Joint Committee between the Egyptian prime minister and the South Sudanese vice-president later this year.

Ambassador Abdel Qader had met in April with South Sudan Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs Angelina Teny to examine ways of expanding collaboration. On her side, the minister expressed appreciation for Egypt's provision of food and medical aid to areas hit by floods.

Further, Acting Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar received early in June his South Sudanese counterpart Yolanda Oil, affirming Egypt's eagerness to continue backing its neighboring state in eradicating hepatitis C.