Egypt, France discuss enhancing economic partnership

CAIRO - 22 January 2025: As part of the participation of Eng. Hassan El Khatib, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, in the activities of the World Economic Forum 2025 in the Swiss city of Davos, the Investment Minister held a meeting Wednesday with Laurent Saint-Martin, French Minister of Foreign Trade, where the meeting discussed ways to enhance the economic partnership between the two countries.

 

The Minister said that Egypt and France are linked by distinguished bilateral relations based on a long history of cooperation and joint coordination between the two countries in various fields and at all levels, noting that the meeting discussed ways to develop and advance joint economic cooperation relations between the two countries, with a focus on attracting more French investments to the promising Egyptian market.

 

El Khatib expressed his aspiration for more cooperation and coordination with the French side in the economic field, stressing that Egypt will remain a promising investment destination for French investors, and that the Egyptian government is keen to provide an attractive and supportive investment environment.

 

The Minister added that the meeting reviewed the investment opportunities and components in Egypt, as well as the measures and procedures currently adopted by the Egyptian government related to financial, monetary and trade policies aimed at facilitating investors, attracting more investments and increasing Egypt's foreign trade rates.

 

For his part, Laurent Saint-Martin, French Minister of Foreign Trade, stressed his country's keenness to enhance the frameworks of joint economic, trade and investment cooperation between Paris and Cairo, referring to the trade mission that will be organized by the "French Foreign Trade Advisors" (CCE) to Egypt in May 2025, which will provide French companies with the ability to explore investment opportunities in the Egyptian market.

 

He added that France is one of the most important countries investing in Egypt in the sectors of transportation, infrastructure, agricultural projects, energy and manufacturing.

 

The two ministers reviewed the achievements made within the framework of the economic partnership between the two countries, praising the success of the recent Egyptian-French Business Forum held in Paris and Marseille.

 

The two sides also discussed ways to implement the memorandum of understanding signed between the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones and Business France, which aims to enhance joint cooperation in the field of investment promotion. The importance of attracting more French investments to Egypt in the sectors of renewable energy, infrastructure, industry and technology was also emphasized.