Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology (CIT) Amr Talaat met with Sweden's Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa to discuss enhancing bilateral cooperation in ICT. The meeting addressed enhancing collaboration in digital infrastructure, supporting startups and SMEs, digital capacity building, and attracting Swedish investments to the Egyptian outsourcing market, as per a Cabinet statement. Talaat highlighted the strong Egypt-Sweden relationship and the potential for increased private-sector partnerships. He also emphasised Egypt's support for startups through Digital Egypt Innovation Hubs and ongoing projects to improve digital infrastructure, including in rural areas through the Decent Life initiative. Dousa praised Egypt's CIT sector and invited Talaat to visit Stockholm to learn more about the Swedish experience. He described Egypt as a promising market for Swedish CIT companies to expand into Africa and Asia. Maria Håkansson, CEO of SwedFund, outlined the fund's developmental role in supporting sustainable development and financing for SMEs, suggesting collaboration in funding digital and CIT projects. Ericsson's Vivek Sachdeva expressed the company's interest in advancing 5G applications, particularly in industrial applications, highlighting global developments in the field, according to the statement. The meeting also tackled cooperation in digital infrastructure, both fixed and mobile, alongside strategies to support innovation and societal solutions. Discussions also included linking startups in both countries. The two sides agreed to frame the areas of cooperation in a forthcoming memorandum of understanding. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
