Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty has stressed Egypt's commitment to strengthening cooperation with the European Union across various areas outlined in the joint declaration upgrading ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. In his meeting with European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi on Thursday, Abdel-Aty highlighted Egypt's interest in greater access for Egyptian goods—particularly agricultural products—to European markets. He called for increasing quotas for Egyptian agricultural exports under the EU-Egypt Association Agreement to boost bilateral trade. The minister also underscored Egypt's interest in receiving technical support in agriculture and food products, and in benefiting from European expertise in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. He called for launching joint initiatives to reinforce pharmaceutical supply chains, transfer technology, and establish partnerships for local drug manufacturing in Egypt. He also proposed technical cooperation programmes to enhance Egypt's pharmaceutical competitiveness and expand exports to Europe. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
