Photo courtesy of Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The council, the main mechanism for overseeing the implementation of the Egypt-UK Partnership Agreement signed on 5 December 2020, brought together representatives from the Egyptian ministries of investment and foreign trade, finance, and planning and economic development.
Ministry spokesman Ambassador Tamim Khalaf said Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to advancing its partnership with Britain across various sectors and expanding economic cooperation to serve the interests of both countries.
He also stressed the importance Egypt attaches to increasing bilateral trade and attracting more British direct investment, highlighting opportunities in renewable energy, infrastructure, financial services, and banking.
Additionally, Abdelatty reviewed the economic reforms and measures undertaken by the Egyptian government in recent years to improve the business climate, support private-sector growth, and enhance the competitiveness of the national economy.
He underscored the importance of investment as a key pillar of bilateral economic relations and called for greater engagement by the private sectors in both countries through existing cooperation mechanisms in Cairo and London.
The minister further expressed Egypt's interest in expanding cooperation in green growth, education, migration, and defence.
The two ministers also exchanged views on a range of regional and international issues, with discussions focusing heavily on the Palestinian cause and developments in the Gaza Strip.
Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's position on preserving the territorial unity of Gaza and the West Bank and rejecting any measures that could undermine the two-state solution.
He outlined Egypt's ongoing efforts to facilitate a transition to the second phase of US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza, including securing full and sustainable humanitarian access to the enclave, deploying an international stabilization force to monitor the ceasefire and ensure aid delivery, and enabling the Gaza National Committee to assume its responsibilities from inside the territory.
The Egyptian foreign minister also reviewed Cairo's diplomatic efforts with regional partners in support of the US-Iran negotiations, welcoming the announcement of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran.
The talks additionally covered developments in Sudan and Lebanon, with Abdelatty briefing his British counterpart on Egypt's positions regarding the two crises and broader regional security challenges.
For her part, Cooper praised Egypt's role in supporting security and stability in the Middle East and commended Cairo's diplomatic efforts to address regional conflicts.
She reaffirmed Britain's commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Egypt and expanding cooperation across various fields, expressing London's desire to maintain close coordination and consultation with Cairo on issues of mutual concern.
The British foreign secretary also stressed the importance of joint efforts to promote peace, security, and stability across the region, according to the foreign ministry statement.
Britain remains one of Egypt's key European economic partners.
Total bilateral trade in goods and services reached £5.1 billion ($6.9 billion) in 2025, while the stock of British foreign direct investment in Egypt stood at £3.6 billion at the end of 2024, according to UK government data.
The two countries have been implementing the Egypt-UK Association Agreement since 2021, with cooperation spanning trade, investment, renewable energy, education, migration, and regional security.
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