Egypt stresses importance of developing partnership with Japan

CAIRO - 3 June 2026: Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptians Abroad Dr. Badr Abdelatty met Wednesday with Toshimitsu Motegi, Japanese Foreign Minister, to launch the third round of the Egyptian-Japanese Strategic Dialogue.

 

The dialogue aims to strengthen bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and activate various avenues of cooperation, as well as exchange views on a number of regional and international issues of common interest.

 

Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Minister Abdelatty praised the depth of Egyptian-Japanese relations, emphasizing the importance of building upon the momentum witnessed in bilateral relations since the announcement of the strategic partnership between the two countries in April 2023.

 

He expressed his aspiration to activate the various aspects of the partnership in the coming period and to hold the strategic dialogue between the two countries on an annual basis.

 

 

Cooperation between Egypt and Japan

 

Regarding economic and investment cooperation, the Foreign Minister reviewed the tangible progress Egypt has made in improving its investment environment, thanks to the economic reform program implemented over the past years.

 

He highlighted Egypt's competitive advantages, foremost among them its strategic location, which qualifies the country to be a regional hub for manufacturing and exporting to Arab, African, and European markets.

 

This is facilitated by the network of free trade agreements linking Egypt to these markets, as well as the direct and indirect investment and customs incentives offered by the Suez Canal Economic Zone to foreign investors.

 

The Foreign Minister invited Japanese companies to invest in Egypt, given the significant improvements in the Egyptian investment environment.

 

He also welcomed increased cooperation with Japanese companies across various sectors, affirming that Egypt provides strategic solutions for the Japanese companies seeking to diversify their production centers and supply chains.

 

The meeting also addressed ways to enhance development cooperation between the two countries through projects funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

 

Minister Abdelatty expressed appreciation for the agency's support for development efforts in Egypt, particularly in the fields of education, scientific research, and human capacity building. He confirmed commitment to further developing the partnership with Japan to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

 

He further expressed deep appreciation for Japan's contribution in establishing the Grand Egyptian Museum, which he described as one of Egypt's most prominent cultural and civilizational projects and a successful model of the Egyptian-Japanese partnership.

 

 

Trilateral cooperation between Egypt, Japan, and African Countries

 

Furthermore, the meeting addressed opportunities to enhance trilateral cooperation between Egypt, Japan, and African countries.

 

The Foreign Minister expressed his aspiration to strengthen efforts to implement the outcomes of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), contributing to advancing sustainable development priorities, promoting investment, and transferring expertise to African countries.

 

For his part, the Japanese Foreign Minister commended the depth of Egyptian-Japanese relations and their remarkable progress across all sectors in recent times. He affirmed his commitment to further developing bilateral relations in various fields to serve the interests of both friendly nations. He also praised Egypt's tireless efforts to support security and stability in the region.

 

The preliminary framework for the strategic partnership between the two countries was signed in preparation for the signing of the strategic partnership document at the presidential level, in addition to the signing of an agreement between the two foreign ministries on diplomatic training.

 

The fourth round of strategic dialogue between the two countries is scheduled to take place Thursday, to address regional and international issues of common interest.