Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El Khatib met on Wednesday with Côte d'Ivoire's Minister of Foreign Affairs Léon Kacou ADOM to discuss strengthening economic and investment partnerships between the two countries. El Khatib stressed the importance of activating the Egypt–Côte d'Ivoire Business Council to enable investors to drive trade and investment, adding that both sides aim to double the current trade volume, now between $300 million and $350 million, through a balanced exchange of raw materials and industrial goods. Discussions also covered boosting trade exchanges, expanding cooperation in energy, mining, and agriculture, and encouraging greater private-sector engagement in available investment opportunities. El Khatib said the two countries would work to create a favourable business environment, including a proposal to develop a Egypt-owned building in Côte d'Ivoire into a logistics hub or permanent exhibition for Egyptian products, with the possibility of expanding the space if needed. ADOM, for his part, praised the strength of bilateral relations and noted the presence of successful Egyptian companies in Côte d'Ivoire, particularly in infrastructure and energy. He highlighted the country's wealth of raw materials and the potential for joint projects with Egypt to create added value and stimulate economic growth. He added that Côte d'Ivoire considers Egypt a strategic partner and gateway to Africa and is ready to provide all possible facilitation for Egyptian investors. ADOM also extended an official invitation to El Khatib to visit Côte d'Ivoire soon to discuss the future of economic cooperation. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
