Investment Minister, Slovenian President discuss enhancing investment cooperation

Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid and Nataša Pirc Musar, President of the Republic of Slovenia, participated in a roundtable organized by the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, with the participation of business community and banking sector leaders from both countries, to discuss opportunities for enhancing trade and investment cooperation in priority sectors.

During the meeting, the Minister emphasized that the Slovenian President’s visit reflects the development of bilateral relations and the joint will to elevate them to an advanced level of economic and investment cooperation.

He pointed out the importance of leveraging Egypt’s strategic location as a hub connecting Europe to Arab and African markets via the Suez Canal, alongside Slovenia’s location and the Port of Koper as a key gateway to Central Europe.

Farid explained that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries does not reflect the available potential, inviting Slovenian companies to invest in productive sectors of developmental priority and to establish joint manufacturing projects in Egypt, particularly in automotive components and pharmaceutical industries, while taking advantage of the capabilities of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt to support joint investments.

He reviewed the state’s efforts to improve the investment climate by digitizing the investor journey and streamlining procedures for company establishment, obtaining licenses, operation, production, and exportation.

He affirmed the Ministry’s readiness to communicate directly with Slovenian companies and work to overcome any challenges facing their investments in the Egyptian market.

The Minister stressed the importance of coordination with the Slovenian side within European institutions to ensure that the economic and industrial interests of countries linked to the European Union by existing partnership agreements are taken into account, and that their competitiveness is not negatively impacted by new trade agreements.

For her part, the President of Slovenia affirmed that Egypt represents a strong partner for business and investment in the Arab world, the Middle East, and Africa.

She noted that the Slovenian economy, despite a population of about 2.1 million, is an open, export-oriented economy that benefits from EU membership and access to its markets.

She expressed her country’s aspiration to enhance cooperation with Egypt and capitalize on available investment opportunities, pointing out that Slovenian companies possess expertise in digitization, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and the circular economy, and highlighting the importance of encouraging cooperation between young entrepreneurs and exchanging expertise in these fields.

She emphasized that transforming economic opportunities into concrete projects is the responsibility of the business communities in both countries, while governments work to create favorable conditions and open horizons for cooperation, inviting Egyptian companies to explore investment and business opportunities in Slovenia.

In turn, Ahmed al-Wakil, President of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, stressed the importance of expanding cooperation between the two countries to include trade, joint investments, and productive partnerships.

He explained that the Port of Koper serves as a gateway for Egyptian exports to Central and Eastern European markets, while Egyptian ports offer Slovenian companies opportunities to access Arab and African markets.