Shoukry to discuss cooperation between Egypt, Japan Wednesday

CAIRO – 3 October 2018: Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry headed to Tokyo Wednesday for a two day visit to discuss bilateral cooperation between Egypt and Japan as well as regional issues of common interest, according to a statement issued by Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ahmed Hafiz.

The statement also reported that Shoukry will participate in the ministerial meetings of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), scheduled for October 6-7. The meeting aims to promote cooperation between Japan and Africa and to support the continent’s overall development efforts.

The statement added that the bilateral cooperation between the two sides includes several fields such as electricity, infrastructure projects, and education, in addition to the Japanese support for the Grand Egyptian Museum project.

The mutual cooperation also includes the construction of the fourth line of the metro and Abu Rish children Hospital.

Hafiz’s statement highlighted the importance of developing the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, adding that the trade exchange between Egypt and Japan reached $1.8 billion in 2017, with about 50 Japanese companies operating in Egypt.

During his visit, the foreign minister will meet with the Japanese prime minister, the Japanese-Japanese Business Council, and the members of the Japan-Egypt Parliamentary Friendship Association. Furthermore, Shoukry will attend the Egyptian-Japanese Strategic Dialogue, which is co-chaired by the Japanese foreign minister and is followed by a press conference, according to the statement.

The Egyptian-Japanese relations have been significantly strong for years, especially after President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi assumed power in 2013. In January 2015, President Sisi received Shinzo Abe in Cairo where the latter offered around ¥43 billion ($388 million) in loans to Egypt for airport and power grid projects.

In another meeting in 2016 with Sisi in Tokyo, Abe said that Japanese companies will take part in Egyptian projects worth about ¥2 trillion ($17.7 billion), according to Reuters.

Moreover, Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Sahar Nasr signed loan agreements with Japan International Company Agency (JICA) to fund energy and transport sectors. The loan agreements are worth $450 million, according to media reports