Egypt's Minister of Health Khaled Abdel Ghaffar has met with Albanian President Bajram Begaj to explore new areas of healthcare cooperation, including medical training, digital transformation, and pharmaceutical manufacturing, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. During the meeting, Abdel Ghaffar – also deputy prime minister – emphasised Egypt's commitment to deepening collaboration with Albania through knowledge exchange and joint programmes aimed at improving the quality of healthcare and achieving shared health security. He said both sides are finalising a memorandum of understanding to pave the way for executive programmes benefiting the two countries. The discussions also touched on Egypt's ongoing efforts to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including receiving and treating injured Palestinians in hospitals across North Sinai, Cairo, and the Nile Delta. The Albanian president praised Egypt's advanced expertise in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, describing cooperation with Cairo as a strategic priority for Albania. He expressed interest in building a sustainable partnership focused on medical training and developing health insurance systems, commending Egypt's progress in the health sector in recent years. The talks covered joint efforts in combating infectious and non-communicable diseases, vaccine production, and localising pharmaceutical industries. Both sides also agreed to form a joint working group to follow up on agreements and strengthen collaboration in emergency response, public health, and scientific research. Abdel Ghaffar said the meeting reflects Egypt's broader strategy to expand international partnerships in healthcare in line with government directives to enhance medical services and achieve sustainable development goals. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
