Egypt and Slovenia Explore Trade and Investment Opportunities

Egyptian Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Mohamed Farid, and Slovenian President, Nataša Pirc Musar, led a roundtable discussion in Cairo to explore opportunities for strengthening trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. The meeting brought together senior representatives of the business and banking communities, including Sašo Podlesnik, Slovenia's Ambassador to Egypt, and Alaa Ezz, Chairperson of the Federation of Egyptian-European Business Associations. The discussion aimed to identify areas for collaboration and investment in priority sectors.

Farid emphasized that the visit reflected the growing momentum in Egyptian-Slovenian relations and the shared determination to translate this into deeper economic and investment cooperation. He noted that Egypt's strategic location, connecting Europe with Arab and African markets through the Suez Canal, and Slovenia's position, particularly the Port of Koper as a major gateway to Central Europe, offered significant opportunities to expand bilateral trade and investment. The current volume of trade between the two countries was seen as not reflecting their full economic potential.

Farid highlighted the importance of benefiting from Slovenian expertise in several sectors, particularly automotive components and pharmaceuticals. He invited Slovenian companies to establish joint manufacturing projects in Egypt, noting the country's readiness to explore different partnership models and leverage the capabilities of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt to support joint investments. The minister also stressed the importance of coordinating with Slovenia within European institutions to ensure that the economic and industrial interests of countries with existing partnership agreements with the European Union were taken into consideration.

Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar expressed her pleasure at visiting Egypt and holding productive discussions with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Prime Minister. She conveyed the Slovenian business community's appreciation for the warm reception and welcome it had received in the Egyptian market. Pirc Musar explained that Slovenia has an open, export-oriented economy that benefits from EU membership and access to European markets, and seeks to encourage greater openness of the European economy towards markets outside the European Union.

Pirc Musar emphasized that Egypt represents an important business and investment partner in the Arab world, the Middle East and Africa. She said Slovenian companies possess the expertise and readiness needed to capitalise on opportunities in Egypt and neighbouring markets. The President highlighted the opportunities offered by the Egyptian economy and its growth rates compared with those of several European economies experiencing a slowdown, creating scope for Slovenian companies to expand their operations across the region.

Ahmed El-Wakil, Chairperson of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, stressed the importance of building on existing economic relations between the two countries and expanding cooperation to cover trade, joint investment and business partnerships. He explained that the Port of Koper provides a gateway for Egyptian exports to Central and Eastern Europe, while Egyptian ports offer Slovenian companies opportunities to access Arab and African markets.

The discussions between the Egyptian and Slovenian officials concluded with an emphasis on the responsibility of the business communities of both countries to translate opportunities into tangible projects, while governments must create favourable conditions and open new avenues for cooperation. The Slovenian President expressed hope that the visit would deliver practical results and invited Egyptian companies to explore investment and business opportunities in Slovenia.

Key points

• Egypt and Slovenia discuss ways to boost trade and investment ties
• Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar visits Egypt to explore business opportunities
• Egypt's strategic location and Slovenia's access to European markets offer opportunities for expanded trade and investment.