Egypt, Slovenia discuss enhancing maritime and aviation cooperation

CAIRO – 6 February 2026: Establishing a maritime shipping line, expanding cooperation in maritime ports, and activating the agreement to launch aviation flights between Egypt and Slovenia were discussed by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob.

On the sidelines of his visit to the capital, Ljubljana, the Egyptian Foreign Minister discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

During the meeting, the Foreign Minister praised the distinguished level of bilateral relations between Egypt and Slovenia, emphasizing keenness to enhance joint cooperation in various fields, particularly economic, trade, and investment, in addition to cultural and tourism cooperation.

The Minister also reviewed opportunities to boost Egyptian exports to European Union countries via Slovenia, and the possibility of establishing a maritime shipping line that would make Slovenia a gateway for exporting Egyptian goods to various European markets, given Egypt’s strategic location as a key gateway for trade with Africa and the Middle East. In this context, the Foreign Minister welcomed the outcomes of the second session of the Joint Economic Committee, which was held in February of last year, and expressed his anticipation of hosting the third session in Cairo this year.

The Foreign Minister also reviewed the investment opportunities available in Egypt, including industrial zones, most notably the Suez Canal Economic Zone, highlighting the new cities built in Egypt in recent years. The two sides also discussed prospects for expanding cooperation in the ports sector, beyond the existing collaboration between the ports of Koper and Alexandria, to include other Egyptian ports such as Ain Sokhna and Damietta.

The Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of finalizing the procedures for activating the air service agreement between Egypt and Slovenia, given its positive impact on supporting bilateral cooperation and increasing tourism and investment between the two countries.

The Foreign Minister also expressed his hope of reaching an agreement on skilled labor, which would allow Egyptian workers to be brought to Slovenia either permanently or through temporary seasonal migration. He further discussed strengthening cooperation in the health sector, particularly in medical and wellness tourism. The discussions also covered the possibility of agreeing on programs for exchanging visits of doctors between the two countries in various specialties, and developing joint training programs, reflecting the mutual interest in enhancing scientific and medical exchange programs.

For his part, the Slovenian Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the distinguished relations between the two countries, welcomed Egyptian investments in Slovenia, and expressed his hope to increase them in a way that contributes to making Slovenia a gateway for Egyptian trade to the countries of the Western Balkans and Central Europe.