The agreements were signed on Thursday following the second meeting of the Joint Planning Group between Egypt and Turkey in the Egyptian Mediterranean city of Alamein.
The meeting began after the two co-chairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, signed the protocol for the second meeting of the Egyptian-Turkish Joint Planning Group.
Representatives of the investment, trade, petroleum, and health and population ministries of both countries attended the meeting.
Abdelatty and Fidan also signed Egypt’s accession document to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in logistical connectivity between the transport ministries of several African countries and Turkey’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.
Similarly, Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Mohamed Farid Saleh, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan signed a decision on rules of origin, issued by the joint committee established under the free trade agreement between the two countries.
Rules of origin are the criteria used to define the "economic nationality" of a product in global trade. Governments use these laws and regulations to figure out where a good was made.
According to the Egyptian foreign ministry, the meeting aims to follow up on the implementation of the outcomes of the second meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council between the two countries, held in Cairo in February, and chaired by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The two sides also discussed ways to enhance cooperation, leading to the implementation of El-Sisi and Erdogan's agreement to increase trade between Egypt and Turkey to $15 billion.
Furthermore, Abdelatty and Fidan discussed the latest developments in consultations on reactivating the maritime shipping route between Egypt and Turkey under the “Ro-Ro” system to enhance the movement of goods, particularly perishable commodities.
They also reviewed the system's potential role in supporting trade and investment between the two countries and strengthening supply chains and logistical connectivity between Egyptian and Turkish ports.
During the meeting, the Egyptian FM reviewed Cairo's steps to support Turkish investors, including the Fast Track mechanism, which provides Turkish investors with easier access to relevant licenses and approvals.
He also highlighted the working group established under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade to follow up on Turkish investments in Egypt and work to overcome any challenges facing Turkish investors.
Additionally, Abdelatty stated that Egypt looked forward to Turkey's possible establishment of a fully serviced Turkish industrial zone in Egypt to attract further Turkish investments in several priority sectors, including automotive, aluminum, equipment, chemicals, textiles and ready-made garments.
He highlighted the benefits to the Turkish economy from the facilities provided by the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone), as well as Egypt's competitive advantages, strategic location, and advanced infrastructure.
In the mining sector, Abdelatty reiterated the importance of enhancing cooperation with the Turkish side by encouraging Turkish investments in Egyptian mining projects, exchanging technical and technological expertise, and developing industries linked to mineral resources.
He also stressed the importance of supporting scientific research programmes and joint projects in exploration and processing to maximize the use of mineral resources and boost exports, particularly in light of the Egypt Mining Forum scheduled in September.
Middle East crises
According to the Egyptian foreign ministry, both sides also discussed several regional issues and developments of mutual interest.
They stressed the importance of continuing close coordination, as well as within the regional quartet, bringing together Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, to support efforts aimed at achieving security and stability in the region.
They also discussed efforts to de-escalate and contain regional tensions, and to promote political and diplomatic solutions, including ensuring compliance with the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.
Addressing the latest developments on the Palestinian cause, both sides condemned the continued Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. They stressed the need for an immediate halt to the escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories.
They also stressed the importance of moving forward with the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, in both its first and second phases, including Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.
Abdelatty and Fidan further underscored the importance of intensifying international efforts to end the suffering of the Palestinian people and ensure the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.
On Sudan, the Egyptian FM stressed the importance of continuing efforts to achieve a ceasefire and reach a political settlement that preserves Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He noted that any political process must be based on full Sudanese ownership to preserve the Sudanese people’s resources and meet their aspirations for security and stability.
On Libya, Abdelatty affirmed Egypt’s support for the Libyan political process and the need to reach a “Libyan-Libyan” settlement without dictates or external interference, in a manner that preserves Libya’s unity, sovereignty and stability and supports the establishment of Libyan state institutions, leading to the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections as soon as possible.
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