By Manal Abdel Fattah
Sameh Shoukry met with Florian Hermann, Minister of State for Federal Affairs and Information of the German State of Bavaria, and the head of the State Chancellory, on the sidelines of his participation in the 60th session of the Munich Security Conference, which is hosted by the state in Munich.
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesman and director of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the meeting dealt extensively with ways to enhance trade and investment cooperation between Egypt and the State of Bavaria, as Minister Shoukry was keen to emphasize the importance that Egypt attaches to strengthening cooperation with the state because it represents a center for wealth and manufacturing in the European Union, as well as Egypt being one of the most important trading partners of the state in Africa and the Middle East.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman explained that during the meeting, the two sides discussed a number of joint cooperation proposals, where Minister Shoukry conveyed Egypt’s interest in strengthening cooperation with state companies in various specialized industries such as the automotive, communications and technology industries, as well as the areas of artificial intelligence and the transfer of German expertise in the field of supporting startups.
He also reviewed opportunities for cooperation in the field of energy as one of the promising economic fields in Egypt, pointing to the vast potential possessed by Egypt in this field, and its position as a regional center for the circulation, production and distribution of energy, whether at the level of liquefied gas or green hydrogen.
In the same context, the Foreign Minister expressed Egypt’s interest in attracting major industrial companies in the state to invest in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, pointing to its attractive logistical potential for investment, as well as the advantages provided by Egypt to foreign investors in light of its membership in many economic clusters.
He also noted that there is a promising opportunity to cooperate in facilitating the transfer of organized Egyptian labor trained to the state.
For his part, Florian Herman welcomed Minister Sameh Shoukry’s visit to the state, expressing his aspiration to enhance cooperation with Egypt in various fields of industry, explore more investment opportunities in Egypt, and learn about the advantages that Egypt grants for foreign investments to enter the Egyptian market.
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid concluded his remarks, noting that the meeting also witnessed an exchange of visions and assessments on the developments of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. Minister Shukry was keen to inform Herman of the determinants of the Egyptian position on dealing with this crisis and the efforts made at various levels to reach a ceasefire and enhance the access of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and prevent the widening of the circle of the conflict, which were appreciated by the German Minister of State, praising Egypt’s regional role as a pillar of stability in the region.
