Engineer Khaled Hashem, Minister of Industry, held a meeting with Albert G. Doualy, Ambassador of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire to Egypt, to discuss ways to enhance industrial cooperation between the two countries and increase joint industrial investments.
The meeting reviewed potential industrial and investment cooperation opportunities between the two countries, particularly in sectors of mutual interest targeted by the governmental plans in both nations. It also examined a number of challenges facing the establishment of joint investments, including the absence of an Egyptian bank in Côte d'Ivoire and the lack of a maritime trade agreement between Egypt and Côte d'Ivoire.
At the outset of the meeting, the Minister emphasized that Egypt and Côte d'Ivoire share close relations at all levels, expressing the Ministry's keenness to cooperate with the Ivorian side in the field of industry and leverage the potential and capabilities of both countries to achieve economic benefits for Egypt and Côte d'Ivoire.
The 2030 Industrial Strategy Includes Industrial Integration with African Nations Among Its Pillars
Hashem explained that the Egyptian Industrial Strategy 2030 includes, among its key pillars, industrial integration with African nations, pointing out that genuine and serious projects are the primary driver to accelerate cooperation between the two countries and are capable of overcoming all existing financial and logistical challenges.
The Ministry and the Embassy Will Begin Studying Common Sectors in Both Countries' Strategies
He noted that the Ministry and the Embassy will begin studying common sectors within the strategies of both countries to identify potential projects feasible for swift implementation based on each country's capabilities, thereby allowing the initiation of several industrial projects to meet the needs of both the Egyptian and Ivorian markets.
For his part, Albert G. Doualy, Ambassador of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire to Egypt, affirmed his country's commitment to strengthening cooperation frameworks with Egypt and activating the cooperation agreements signed between the two countries during President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's visit to Côte d'Ivoire in 2019, particularly light of the alignment of visions between the political leaderships of both nations. He highlighted the Ivorian government's endeavors to attract Egyptian industrial investments to Côte d'Ivoire, especially in the manufacturing sector.
The Ambassador noted that Côte d'Ivoire has established a five-year plan through 2030 for the Ivorian economy, identifying target industrial sectors for executing projects in partnership with the private sector. Egyptian companies can inject direct investments into Côte d'Ivoire in these target industries, which include tire manufacturing, palm oil, and agro-industries.
