Minister of Trade and Industry Nevine Gamea has announced the resumption of online negotiations on a free trade agreement between Egypt and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) at expert level. The discussions will resume in preparation for holding the next round of negotiations at the ministerial level during the last quarter (Q4) of this year. During phone call with EAEU Minister of Trade Andrey Slepnev, Gamea discussed ways to advance negotiations on a free trade agreement between Egypt and countries in the union. These include Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Kyrgyzstan, to reach a final agreement as soon as possible. Gamea expressed Egypt's interest in current and future cooperation projects with the Eurasian Union, especially the Russian industrial zone project in Egypt. She also noted the continued interest in the free trade and cooperation agreement which will see the transfer of advanced industrial experiences from the EAEU to Egypt. Gamea added that all items agreed upon during previous negotiations are currently being reviewed in preparation for the resumption of discussions between technical committees from both sides. This will take place via video conferencing methods during the coming period. Slepnev reaffirmed the union's desire to conclude a free trade agreement with Egypt as a pivotal country in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. He noted that previous rounds of negotiations that were held over the past two years had witnessed consensus on many issues.
