Egypt, Tunisia explore closer economic, trade cooperation

Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El-Khatib met with Tunisian Minister of Trade and Export Promotion Samir Abid in Tunis to discuss strengthening bilateral economic and trade ties. The meeting focused on boosting cooperation across key sectors and addressing issues of mutual interest to deepen economic integration.

El-Khatib underscored both countries’ commitment to advancing trade relations, stressing the need to remove barriers—particularly by speeding up the release of Egyptian shipments at Tunisian ports—to build trust between business communities. He also highlighted Egypt’s readiness to meet technical requirements for exports and facilitate the entry of high-quality Egyptian goods into the Tunisian market.

He noted Egypt’s efforts to ease procedures for Tunisian exporters, especially under the Advance Cargo Information (ACI) system, which aims to streamline trade operations.

El-Khatib welcomed greater investment cooperation, particularly in food industries, electrical appliances, pharmaceuticals, and textiles, and proposed establishing a regular maritime line to enhance trade flows and reduce shipping costs.

For his part, Abid reaffirmed the strategic nature of economic ties between the two countries and called for continued coordination to overcome trade challenges and support a comprehensive partnership.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
Subediting: M. S. Salama