Egypt and Sweden have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for cooperation in supporting capacity building, training, and experience transfer in public transport management and planning, and technical evaluation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects. The LoI was signed by Egypt's Land Transport Regulation Authority (LTRA), affiliated to the Ministry of Transport, and the International Council of Swedish Industries (NIR), as per a Cabinet statement on Wednesday. Minister of Industry and Transport Kamel El-Wazir underscored the depth of Egyptian-Swedish relations and his country's eagerness to enhance cooperation in transport and industry, praising Sweden's Vision Zero road safety model. Furthermore, emphasised the need to leverage Swedish expertise to enhance safety on Egyptian roads while implementing major road and bridge projects nationwide, according to the Cabinet's release. Swedish Minister of International Development Cooperation Benjamin Dousa affirmed Sweden's dedication to boosting investment in Egypt, sharing technology, and fostering collaboration in the industrial and transport sectors. He highlighted Egypt's key role as an entry point to Africa. El-Wazir discussed plans to localise various manufacturing sectors in Egypt, with a focus on electric bus production—particularly Volvo buses already being produced in Egypt for export to the UK and Europe. He proposed collaboration on manufacturing 100 electric buses for Egypt's BRT system, including locally-produced charging stations and control systems. Further areas of cooperation include the BRT project in Alexandria and broader support from Swedish companies like AstraZeneca in various industrial sectors. The two sides agreed to hold follow-up meetings in the coming period to monitor progress and explore new opportunities for Swedish investment in the Egyptian market, the statement added. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
