Belarusian President begins official visit to Egypt

15 января 2017

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Cairo to be welcomed by Egypt’s Tourism Minister. Immediately upon the arrival, the Belarusian leader left for the Al Ittihadiya Palace to hold official talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Belarus considers Egypt an important economic and political partner in the Middle East and North Africa. The volume of trade turnover between the two countries has seen a 2.5-fold increase over the past decade, amounting to almost 200 million dollars in 2015. Last year saw a slight decrease due to Egypt’s national currency devaluation.

The two leaders have agreed to develop a cooperation roadmap, an exchange of government delegations to take place in the near future.

Belarus provides Egypt with Belarus tractors and potash fertilisers. MTZ and MAZ assembly plants are operating in Egypt.

Belarus’ imports from Egypt consist mainly from citrus fruits and vegetables. Belarus is home to 9 companies with 100 % Egyptian capital and 12 joint Belarusian-Egyptian companies.

The free zone format is a good opportunity to enhance the Belarus-Egypt trade turnover. Negotiations on establishing a free trade zone between the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran, Egypt, India and Singapore have already launched. Egypt offers its territory for creating logistics centres and promoting Belarusian goods on the African continent.

Egypt is also interested in setting up joint enterprises. MAZ, MTZ, BelAZ and Belshina acquired new contacts in March last year. Europe's largest tyre manufacturer Belshina exports its products to 60 countries, Egypt accounting for about 70 % of the company’s exports to Africa.

Belarus and Egypt are considering the possibility of creating a joint venture producing medicines, including for Hepatitis C treatment, and have agreed to strengthen cooperation in tourism. There is a possibility of launching direct flights between Minsk and Sharm El Sheikh.

The leaders of Belarus and Egypt have endorsed ten bilateral documents, the main one being a joint declaration. The politicians have signed five memoranda on cooperation in the military-technical sphere, agriculture, the protection and rational use of water resources and climate change. The Minsk region and South Sinai have adopted a fully-fledged cooperation roadmap.

The situation in the Middle East and North Africa were the key topics discussed by Alexander Lukashenko and Minister of Defence and Military Production Sedki Sobhi. The politicians also focused on topical bilateral relation issues, efforts to maintain stability and security in crisis regions and military-technical cooperation between the two countries.

Alexander Lukashenko has invited Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to pay a return visit to Belarus. The two leaders will meet again at tomorrow’s opening of a Belarusian-Egyptian business forum. Besides, the Belarusian President is scheduled to meet with the Prime Minister of Egypt before departing to Sudan.