Islamabad: Pakistan and Egypt have reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral ties across various domains, including trade, investment, security, agriculture, and people-to-people connections. This understanding was reached during a meeting between Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and the visiting Foreign Minister of Egypt, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, in Islamabad.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar stated during a joint press briefing that the discussions were focused on enhancing bilateral trade potential and strengthening business-to-business linkages. Islamabad plans to share a comprehensive list of 250 businesses in key sectors with Cairo, which will be facilitated and supported by Egypt to boost commercial engagement between the two nations.
Dar further mentioned that an additional list of 250 business entities would be shared with Egypt in six months, raising the total number of Pakistani businesses involved to 500. This initiative aims to foster collaboration with Egyptian counterparts. A new Pak-Egypt Business Council will be established to institutionalize private sector cooperation and promote mutually beneficial commercial partnerships.
The Deputy Prime Minister also announced the forthcoming establishment of the Pak-Egypt Business Forum to enhance B2B cooperation. Additionally, the two countries have agreed to double the number of scholarships for Pakistani students at Cairo's renowned Al Azhar University.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, emphasized the longstanding brotherly ties between the two countries and reiterated Egypt's commitment to enhancing bilateral relations in all mutual interest areas. He expressed condolences for the recent loss of lives in terrorist incidents in Pakistan and offered Egypt's cooperation in agriculture, trade and investment, pharmaceuticals, public health, and countering extremism.
Dr. Abdelatty's two-day official visit to Pakistan, at the invitation of Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, underscores the enduring and cordial relations between the two nations, grounded in shared faith, cultural affinity, and common perspectives on regional and international issues. This visit is expected to further strengthen the strategic direction of Pakistan-Egypt relations, focusing on political, economic, defense, cultural, and people-to-people cooperation.