Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Meets Serbian Prime Minister During His Current Visit to Egypt

 Mr. Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, met today with Dr. Duro Macut, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, and his accompanying delegation, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in a number of areas of mutual interest during his current visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt.

During the meeting, they discussed opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the field of tourism and antiquities, particularly increasing inbound tourism from Serbia to Egypt. They also discussed a proposal to study the possibility of operating a direct flight route between Cairo and the Serbian capital, Belgrade, thereby contributing to boosting tourism movement between the two nations.

Reference was also made to Belgrade hosting the "Expo 2027" exhibition from May to August 2027, and the participation of the Arab Republic of Egypt in this major international event. In this context, they discussed the possibility of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities participating within the Egyptian pavilion at the exhibition, which would contribute to highlighting the unique tourism and archaeological capabilities enjoyed by the Egyptian tourism destination.

Furthermore, a number of proposals were reviewed for organizing cultural and tourism events on the sidelines of the exhibition, including the possibility of staging a temporary archaeological exhibition, alongside organizing activities and events that highlight the diversity of tourism products and patterns that characterize Egypt.

The Minister proposed utilizing the new promotional films prepared by the Ministry to introduce the various tourism products and patterns in the Egyptian tourism destination, and screening them within the events accompanying the exhibition. Additionally, he suggested studying the establishment of a miniature model of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) within the participating Egyptian pavilion, featuring a number of archaeological replicas—including replicas from the treasures of King Tutankhamun—as part of the proposed promotional activities.

The two sides also discussed the possibility of organizing events at the National Museum in Serbia to introduce Egyptian civilization and its ancient history, contributing to deepening the Serbian people's knowledge of the cultural and civilized capabilities that Egypt enjoys. This would also promote its rich and diverse tourism products that extend beyond beach tourism to include cultural and archaeological tourism, among other multiple tourism patterns.

The meeting also touched upon cooperation opportunities in the field of specialized training and education in Egyptology, thereby contributing to supporting scientific and cultural exchange between the two countries.

For his part, the Serbian Prime Minister pointed out his country's interest in strengthening cooperation with Egypt in the field of wellness and medical tourism, and capitalizing on the elements that Egypt possesses in this field, allowing Serbian tourists to enjoy an integrated tourism experience that combines wellness with various tourism activities and products.

The two sides agreed to study the possibility of forming a joint working group that includes representatives from the private sector in both countries, with the aim of enhancing mutual tourism movement and increasing the number of tourists between Egypt and Serbia.

At the conclusion of the meeting, commemorative gifts were exchanged.

The meeting was attended from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities by Dr. Ahmed Ghoneim, CEO of the Grand Egyptian Museum Authority; Dr. Hisham El-Laithy, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities; and Ms. Rana Gohar, Advisor to the Minister for Communications and Foreign Relations and General Supervisor of the General Department of International Relations and Agreements at the Ministry.