By Manal Abdel Fattah
Ambassador Michele Quaroni, the Italian Ambassador to Cairo, met with Engineer Ahmed Samir, Minister of Trade and Industry, where the meeting discussed ways to develop joint economic relations between the two countries in the fields of trade, industry, investment and maritime transport. The meeting was attended by the Director General of the Italian Trade Agency, Lorenzo Galanti, and the Minister Trade Commissioner Yahya. Al-Wathiq Billah, Head of Commercial Representation.
Ambassador Michele Quaroni, Italy’s ambassador to Cairo, stressed his country’s keenness to strengthen the bonds of joint economic cooperation with Egypt as it is one of Italy’s most important and basic partners in the Middle East and the African continent.
The ambassador pointed out the importance of encouraging more Italian investments to work in the Egyptian market, and export to the markets of the African continent and the Arab countries, especially in the fields of food, pharmaceutical and textile industries, as Egypt represents a hub for access to the markets of these countries and is linked with them by preferential trade agreements.
The ambassador pointed out that the Egyptian market represents a distinguished investment destination, especially in light of the large incentive packages provided by the Egyptian state to investors, as well as the investment opportunities available in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
The ambassador touched on the Italian side’s keenness to enhance cooperation with Egypt in the field of developing the vocational training system in a way that contributes to providing qualified workers for the Egyptian industry.
The Director General of the Italian Trade Agency, Lorenzo Galanti, pointed out the importance of the fast shipping line between Egypt and Italy, “RoRo”, in increasing the rates of trade exchange between the two countries, especially with regard to exports of food and fresh agricultural products.
The Director of the Trade Agency pointed out the importance of Italian companies benefiting from this line to enhance its contribution to increasing intra-trade movement between the continents of Europe and Africa through Italy and Egypt.
He noted the importance of enhancing joint cooperation between the two countries in the areas of participation in exhibitions, exchange of delegation visits, machinery and equipment technology, design of leather products, development of technological centres, training and industrial clusters.
For his part, Engineer Ahmed Samir, Minister of Trade and Industry, said that the meeting discussed current and future cooperation projects between the two countries, especially the transfer of advanced Italian industrial expertise and technologies to the Egyptian industry, as well as activating the logistical transport system between the two countries in a way that contributes to facilitating the access of Egyptian exports to the markets of European countries through the Italian market. As well as facilitating the access of Italian goods to the markets of African countries through the Egyptian market.
The minister pointed out that the meeting reviewed the possibilities of establishing more joint industrial projects in Egypt and exporting to the markets of the African continent and the Arab countries, by benefiting from the free and preferential trade agreements signed between Egypt and these countries, especially the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and the Greater Arab Free Trade Area Agreement.
The Minister, Trade Commissioner, Yahya Al-Wathiq Billah, Head of the Commercial Representation, explained that Italy represents one of the most important and largest economic partners of Egypt on the continent of Europe, pointing out the importance of developing a joint action plan to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries through exchanging information and increasing awareness among business circles in Egypt and Italy of the importance of enhancing joint investments, as well as Benefiting from the great economic opportunities and potential that the two countries enjoy.
Al-Wathiq Billah pointed out the importance of strengthening joint efforts to attract more Italian investments to the Egyptian market, as well as benefiting from the great Italian expertise and technologies in developing the Egyptian industry, noting the possibility of launching a joint working group to periodically follow up on all cooperation files between the two sides.
