Egypt's Tourism and Antiquities Minister Sherif Fathy met Bosnia and Herzegovina's Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković in Sarajevo on Tuesday, in the first official visit by an Egyptian minister to the Bosnian capital in 15 years. According to a ministry statement, the talks focused on expanding cooperation in tourism, heritage preservation and investment, including increasing direct flights and easing visa rules to boost travel between the two countries. Minister Fathy highlighted Egypt's strong tourism performance, with 15.8 million visitors in 2024, up 6 per cent from a year earlier, and pointed to plans to open the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) on Nov. 1. He said Cairo is seeking more hotel investment to meet growing demand. Konaković praised Egypt's support for Bosnia and underlined tourism's importance to Sarajevo's economy, noting a record number of visitors this year. He recalled visiting Egypt as a tourist a decade ago and said he hopes to return. The two ministers also discussed potential cooperation in antiquities, with Bosnia looking to benefit from Egypt's expertise in archaeological restoration and museum management. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
