Ukraine and Egypt have agreed to deepen cooperation between the customs agencies, which will simplify export and import operations and customs clearance, as well as liberalize the customs procedures in Ukraine for Egypt-made farm produce, the Ukrainian Economic Development and Trade Ministry said. The agreement was made at a meeting of Ukraine's Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister, who is also Ukraine's Trade Representative, Natalia Mykolska and Egypt's Minister of Industry and Trade Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour during Mykolska's visit to Egypt on August 18-19. Mykolska drew attention to the fact that Egypt had used safeguards against Ukrainian steel bars and might also increase import duties on this type of products, which may become a considerable obstacle to sales of the Ukrainian produce on the Egyptian market. The sides also discussed the possibility of arrange joint economic business forums for both countries entrepreneurs and the establishment of a dialogue between the Federation of Industrialists of Egypt, the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce and their Ukrainian peers. In particular, the sides decided to exchange information before September 15 about ways to implement potential projects to facilitate further cooperation. Mykolska also met with the head of the Association of the Egyptian Chambers of Commerce to consider the possibility of the creation of joint projects in shipbuilding (modernization and retrofitting of the industrial fishing fleet), cosmetic medicine, production of pharmaceuticals, machine-building, cooperation in research and engineering. What is more, the sides touched upon the introduction of innovation technologies in medicine, the sector of IT services and tourism. Source: Interfax-Ukraine
