Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty said Egypt is keen to elevate economic, trade and investment relations with Japan to levels that reflect the strength of political ties between the two countries and support their shared development and strategic priorities.
Abdelatty made the comments on Thursday, June 4, 2026, during a meeting with Kenji Yamada, Japan's State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, which focused on ways to strengthen economic and investment cooperation within the framework of the Egyptian-Japanese strategic partnership.
The top Egyptian diplomat expressed appreciation for the role played by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in supporting economic collaboration with Egypt. He also reviewed recent positive developments in the Egyptian economy under the government's comprehensive economic reform program, highlighting improvements in macroeconomic indicators, enhanced competitiveness and a more attractive business environment.
Abdelatty said Egypt offers Japanese companies a strategic platform for diversifying production bases and supply chains amid ongoing challenges and shifts in the global economy, citing the country's unique geographic location and extensive network of free trade agreements with Arab, African and European markets.
He called on Japan to encourage greater engagement by its business community in the Egyptian market and to capitalize on investment opportunities across a wide range of sectors. In this context, Abdelatty reviewed promising opportunities in renewable energy, green hydrogen and low-emission ammonia, expressing hope for increased Japanese investments in these sectors and for building on existing successful cooperation models, particularly in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, which offers competitive advantages and investment incentives.
The foreign minister also spoke about Egypt's efforts to localize industry in several strategic sectors, including electric vehicle manufacturing, renewable energy components and water desalination technologies. He stressed the importance of benefiting from Japan's advanced expertise in these fields and called for organizing more trade missions and joint investment forums to boost bilateral trade and investment.
The meeting also discussed prospects for expanding economic and development cooperation. Abdelatty expressed hope for broader collaboration in the transport sector, particularly in developing Cairo International Airport and completing the fourth phase of the Cairo Metro project, to support Egypt's national development plans and growing tourism flows.
He further emphasized Egypt's interest in strengthening its economic partnership with Japan by establishing a Japanese industrial zone within the Suez Canal Economic Zone, to support the presence of Japanese companies in the Egyptian market and enable them to benefit from the zone's strategic location and investor incentives.
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