Egypt's Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, met with Romania's Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu in Bucharest to discuss strengthening bilateral relations ahead of Odobescu's visit to Egypt later this month. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 4th session of the Romanian-Egyptian Joint Committee for Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation, which is being chaired by Al-Mashat on the Egyptian side and Romania's Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism on the Romanian side. The two ministers discussed a range of areas of cooperation, including the importance of increasing investment in Egypt, particularly in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, which offers many opportunities for foreign companies. Al-Mashat highlighted Egypt's commitment to attracting foreign investment and emphasized the importance of strengthening their economic partnership. The meeting comes as the two countries prepare to celebrate 120 years of diplomatic relations next year. Al-Mashat also stressed that Egypt has taken steps to ensure its economic stability despite global and regional challenges, including implementing structural reforms, introducing tax and investment incentives, and attracting private and foreign investment. Odobescu expressed Romania's support for deepening the strategic partnership between the European Union and Egypt. She also highlighted the importance of tackling ongoing crises in the region from a comprehensive perspective. Al-Mashat also discussed Egypt's 2023 strategy to promote South-South cooperation and trilateral collaboration. She emphasised Egypt's commitment to playing a more active role in facilitating knowledge exchange among countries of the Global South and leveraging successful development experiences with development partners. The meeting was held ahead of a joint business forum, which focused on encouraging joint investments in key sectors such as agriculture, industry, communications, information technology, and cybersecurity.
