Egypt, Slovenia discuss boosting trade, investment ties

Mohamed Farid, Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, and Nataša Pirc Musar, President of Slovenia, participated in a roundtable organised by the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce to explore opportunities for strengthening trade and investment cooperation in priority sectors.

The meeting brought together senior representatives of the business and banking communities, including Sašo Podlesnik, Slovenia’s Ambassador to Egypt; Alaa Ezz, Chairperson of the Federation of Egyptian-European Business Associations; Mohamed El-Etreby, Chairperson of the Federation of Egyptian Banks and the Union of Arab Banks; and Mohamed Abou El-Enein, Chairperson of the Investors Division at the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Representatives of businesses and companies from both countries also attended.

Farid stressed that the visit reflected the growing momentum in Egyptian-Slovenian relations and the shared determination to translate this into deeper economic and investment cooperation.

He noted that global developments, including the restructuring of supply chains and international trade routes, had increased the importance of building partnerships based on the geographical advantages and productive capabilities of both countries.

Farid explained that Egypt’s strategic location, connecting Europe with Arab and African markets through the Suez Canal, and Slovenia’s position, particularly the Port of Koper as a major gateway to Central Europe, offered significant opportunities to expand bilateral trade and investment.

He pointed out that the current volume of trade between the two countries did not reflect their full economic potential.

The minister added that the Slovenian President’s discussions with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi had given bilateral relations considerable momentum, which should now be translated into tangible projects and business partnerships.

Farid highlighted the importance of benefiting from Slovenian expertise in several sectors, particularly automotive components and pharmaceuticals.

He invited Slovenian companies to establish joint manufacturing projects in Egypt, noting the country’s readiness to explore different partnership models and leverage the capabilities of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt to support joint investments.

He also stressed the importance of coordinating with Slovenia within European institutions to ensure that the economic and industrial interests of countries with existing partnership agreements with the European Union were taken into consideration.

Such coordination, he said, should help prevent new trade agreements concluded by the EU with other parties from adversely affecting the competitiveness of countries that already have partnership agreements with the bloc.

Farid also reviewed the government’s efforts to improve the investment climate by digitalising the entire investor journey, from company establishment and licensing to operations, production and exports.

He affirmed the ministry’s readiness to engage directly with Slovenian companies, listen to the challenges they face and coordinate with the relevant authorities to address them, supporting the expansion of existing businesses and attracting new investments.

For her part, Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar expressed her pleasure at visiting Egypt and holding productive discussions with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Prime Minister.

She also conveyed the Slovenian business community’s appreciation for the warm reception and welcome it had received in the Egyptian market.

Pirc Musar explained that, despite Slovenia’s relatively small population of around 2.1 million, the country has an open, export-oriented economy that benefits from EU membership and access to European markets.

She added that Slovenia seeks to encourage greater openness of the European economy towards markets outside the European Union.

The President stressed that Egypt represents an important business and investment partner in the Arab world, the Middle East and Africa.

She said Slovenian companies possess the expertise and readiness needed to capitalise on opportunities in Egypt and neighbouring markets.

Pirc Musar highlighted the opportunities offered by the Egyptian economy and its growth rates compared with those of several European economies experiencing a slowdown, creating scope for Slovenian companies to expand their operations across the region.

She added that younger generations possess advanced expertise in digitalisation and future planning, alongside a strong interest in climate change, the circular economy and sustainability.

Exchanging knowledge and ideas among young people, she said, was therefore an important element in developing economic partnerships.

The Slovenian President concluded by emphasising that responsibility for translating opportunities into tangible projects rests with the business communities of both countries, while governments must create favourable conditions and open new avenues for cooperation.

She expressed hope that the visit would deliver practical results and invited Egyptian companies to explore investment and business opportunities in Slovenia.

Meanwhile, Ahmed El-Wakil, Chairperson of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, stressed the importance of building on existing economic relations between the two countries and expanding cooperation to cover trade, joint investment and business partnerships.

He explained that the Port of Koper provides a gateway for Egyptian exports to Central and Eastern Europe, while Egyptian ports offer Slovenian companies opportunities to access Arab and African markets.