Shoukry, Belarus trade min. discuss economic cooperation

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry had talks on Monday with Belarus Trade and Antimonopoly Regulation Minister Vladimir Koltovich on boosting economic cooperation between the two countries.

In statements on Monday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said talks took up Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko's visit to Egypt in January. 

The president was accompanied by ten ministers and nearly 40 businessmen, a matter that opens new vistas for cooperation between Cairo and Minsk, the spokesman said. Egypt is the largest trading partner of Belarus among the Arab and African countries, he added.

In this regard, Shoukry said Egypt backs Belarus in its efforts to resume negotiations to finalize a free trade agreement between the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Egypt, the spokesman added.

The talks also tackled means of pushing forward the implementation of the outcome of the fourth meeting of the Egyptian-Belarus Trade Commission that was held in Minsk in May.

They also agreed on following up the implementation of agreements and programs that were agreed upon during the commission's meeting, particularly those related to beefing up Belarus investments in Egypt that are currently amounted to dlrs 1.3 billion in the industrial, agricultural, tourism and services sectors, the spokesman said.

Belarus is concerned with Egypt's membership in several economic blocs in Africa, a matter that makes it a gateway to Belarus exports to the African markets, the spokesman said.

For his part, Koltovich lauded economic measures that were recently taken in Egypt, expecting an economic leap in Egypt in the coming period.