Tourism Minister, Japanese Ambassador Discuss Ongoing Projects, Future Co-op

Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, received Mr. Oka Hiroshi, Ambassador of Japan in Cairo, and Mr. Kato Ken, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Egypt, along with their accompanying delegation at the ministry's headquarters in the New Administrative Capital. 

The meeting aimed to discuss mechanisms for enhancing cooperation between Egypt and Japan, ongoing projects, and future cooperation plans in the fields of tourism and antiquities.

This meeting comes within the framework of the strategic partnership between Egypt and Japan and the mutual commitment to strengthen bilateral relations in tourism and antiquities.

The Egyptian Minister began the meeting by welcoming the Japanese delegation, appreciating the strong friendship between the two countries, which has witnessed fruitful cooperation in various fields, including tourism and antiquities. Among the significant projects are the Grand Egyptian Museum, the extraction, restoration, and reassembly of the second Khufu Solar Boat, and the restoration and documentation work at numerous archaeological sites across Egypt. Additionally, several Japanese archaeological missions have been operating for many years at various sites throughout the country.

During the meeting, ways to enhance mutual cooperation to attract more tourists from Japan to Egypt were discussed, as well as the exchange of expertise and training in tourism and antiquities. There was also coordination with the Egyptian side to cooperate in implementing the research strategy for the Grand Egyptian Museum, aiming to make it not only the largest museum in the world for ancient Egyptian antiquities but also the largest regional research center for Egyptology, museums, and training countries in the region on the skills acquired by Egyptian restorers and archaeologists in this field.

For his part, Japanese Ambassador praised the accomplishments made within this cooperation framework, reviewing ongoing projects in tourism and antiquities as part of this partnership. He emphasized his keenness to continue this constructive cooperation between the two countries to serve their mutual interests.

 He also commended the development and service quality improvements at museums and archaeological sites in Egypt.