UK minister for the Middle East Alastair Burt arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss with Egyptian officials British-Egyptian cooperation and UK support for Egypt, especially in economic and educational reform, according to a British embassy statement. Burt will also discuss regional issues and international efforts to combat terrorism with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, and will meet with the minister of interior as well as education and business leaders. "Both the UK and Egypt have faced senseless terrorist attacks recently, leading to the deaths of many innocent people. The visit is an important time to reinforce UK-Egyptian cooperation in facing the shared threat of terrorism, and how to combat radicalisation," the embassy's statement read. The meetings will tackle new investments and UK support for Egypt's economic reforms, including providing additional technical assistance to reform policies in the ministries of finance, investment, trade and industry, petroleum and education. This is the minister's first visit to Egypt since he was appointed as the first-ever joint state minister for the Middle East and North Africa for the UK's Foreign Office and the Department for International Development. “The UK is a longstanding friend of Egypt and this visit to Cairo is an ideal opportunity for me to discuss further UK-Egyptian collaboration in many areas, including education and economic reform,” Burt was quoted as saying in the statement. Burt will also discuss the importance of job creation as an important step in helping the Egyptian economy flourish, and will meet with young Egyptian social entrepreneurs. "The UK is working with the Egyptian government on licensing reform to make it easier for entrepreneurs to start their own business, which will improve the investment environment, benefiting both Egyptian companies and UK investors." The UK is the number one investor in Egypt, with investments in the first half of 2016/17 reaching $2.9 billion, according to the statement.
