Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, and Bulgarian Minister of Economy and Industry, Peter Dilov, co-chaired the committee.
The session brought together the Bulgarian delegation and representatives of 17 Egyptian ministries and national bodies to expand trade, investment, and sectoral cooperation. Trade between Egypt and Bulgaria reached around $1 billion in 2024.
Al-Mashat said Egypt’s competitive advantages qualify it to attract greater Bulgarian investment. She noted that Egypt could become a strategic gateway for Bulgarian exports to Arab and African markets due to the country’s multiple free trade agreements and industrial zones, including the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
Moreover, Al-Mashat highlighted that Egypt and Bulgaria will celebrate 100 years of diplomatic ties in 2026. She emphasized that relations between Egypt and Bulgaria have gained momentum under President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, particularly following the Bulgarian President’s landmark visit to Cairo in 2019.
Furthermore, Al-Mashat highlighted Egypt’s efforts to improve the business climate and enhance economic cooperation with the European Union (EU). In addition, she indicated that Egypt’s strategic partnership with the EU and participation in the Global Gateway initiative provide new opportunities for collaboration with Bulgaria, which is nearing Eurozone accession.
Al-Mashat also highlighted the excellent opportunities for establishing partnerships between Egypt and Bulgaria in several areas, including industry, tourism, digital transformation, agriculture, and education. She even demanded that the Egypt-Bulgaria Business Forum meet regularly to deepen private-sector engagement.
For his part, Dilov said Egypt remains one of Bulgaria’s key partners in the Middle East. He stressed that the meeting of the committee reflects the Egyptian and Bulgarian governments’ will to advance cooperation in trade, investment, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SMEs), energy, green transition, agriculture, environmental protection, and education.
The meeting was attended by the representatives of several ministries, including the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Communications and Information Technology, Civil Aviation, Electricity and Renewable Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Military Production, Tourism and Antiquities, Culture, Water Resources and irrigation, Industry and Transport, Higher Education, Environment, and Youth and Sports.
Representatives from the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones and the MSME Development Agency also attended the meeting.
Short link: