Belarus' Ambassador to Cairo Sergei Terentiev has revealed that a delegation from the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FEDCOC) will visit his country, in June, to participate in the second Belarus-Africa Economic Forum. Terentiev said that the delegation will conduct negotiations as part of the International Agricultural Exhibition later this year, as Belarus is a traditional supplier of agricultural machinery to Middle Eastern countries. This is set to discuss opportunities for using Egypt as a manufacturing base for exporting Belarusian products to African markets. This will take place within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). In a special statement to the Middle East News Agency, Terentiev confirmed the interest of both countries in strengthening agricultural cooperation. This comes in light of the agreements reached in February 2020 by Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Belarus' Alexander Lukashenko. The ambassador added that there are joint projects in progress between the two countries, including the start of an assembly line for tractors, silos, and other technologies. Terentiev said that bilateral cooperation in agriculture aims to increase the level of Egyptian inputs in the production of these agricultural machinery and technologies. He noted that an Belarusian-Egyptian Joint Working Groupwas formed to cooperate in the field of agriculture. The group held its first meeting in July 2020, to discuss ways to support cooperation in sectors such as: agricultural mechanisation; seed production; agricultural chemicals; irrigation; and training, among others. The ambassador stressed Belarus' interest in increasing the supply of Egyptian agricultural products, such as fruits and vegetables, which are very popular in the Eastern European country.
