Egypt and Uzbekistan Discuss Stronger Economic Ties During Cairo Talks

Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, Badr Abdelatty, held expanded talks on Saturday, 13 June, with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov in Cairo, focusing on ways to strengthen bilateral relations and coordinate positions on regional and international issues of common concern.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Tamim Khallaf said Abdelatty welcomed Saidov’s visit, describing it as the first bilateral visit by an Uzbek foreign minister to Egypt. He said the visit reflected the growing momentum in relations between the two countries and the shared political will to expand cooperation across different fields.

Abdelatty praised the recent high-level visits exchanged between Egypt and Uzbekistan, saying they reflected a mutual desire to deepen cooperation. He also stressed the importance of maintaining regular consultation and coordination mechanisms, as well as holding bilateral cooperation meetings on a consistent basis.

The two ministers discussed ways to expand economic, trade and investment cooperation, with Abdelatty saying that political understanding should be translated into practical projects and investments. He pointed to promising areas for cooperation, including agriculture, energy, infrastructure, mining, car manufacturing, chemicals, tourism, food industries, logistics, and maritime and air connectivity.

Abdelatty also expressed Egypt’s interest in strengthening cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly to support the access of Egyptian products to Central Asian markets. He called for facilitating the registration of Egyptian medicines in Uzbekistan and expanding cooperation in training, capacity-building and the transfer of technical expertise.

The Egyptian foreign minister also called for accelerating the establishment of an Egyptian-Uzbek Chamber of Commerce and a joint business council, saying these steps would help increase trade and investment between the two countries. He pointed to Egypt’s strategic location and its wide network of free trade agreements with several regional and international markets.

Khallaf added that the talks also covered regional and international developments, including the Palestinian issue. The two sides also exchanged views on the latest developments in US-Iranian negotiations.

For his part, Saidov praised the depth of relations between Egypt and Uzbekistan and expressed his country’s desire to advance bilateral ties in various fields during the coming period. He also commended Egypt’s important and constructive role in supporting regional security and stability.

At the end of the talks, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Egypt’s Institute for Diplomatic Studies and its Uzbek counterpart. They also signed a memorandum of understanding on a cooperation programme between the two foreign ministries for the period from 2026 to 2028.