Investment Minister, Slovenian President discuss enhancing investment cooperation

Investment Minister Mohamed Farid and Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar convened a roundtable with Egyptian business leaders to explore avenues for bolstering trade and investment ties between their nations. Mr. Farid highlighted the strategic significance of Egypt's role as a crossroads for trade between Europe and the Arab-African continent, contrasting it with Slovenia's position as a gateway to Central Europe through the Port of Koper.

The minister pointed out that, despite the substantial potential, current trade volumes between the countries are not reflective of this capacity. Encouraging Slovenian enterprises to invest in strategic industries such as automotive components and pharmaceuticals in Egypt, he emphasized the Sovereign Fund of Egypt's role in facilitating such joint ventures.

The Slovenian president echoed this sentiment, emphasizing Egypt's status as a robust partner for business and investment across the Arab, Middle Eastern, and African regions. She stressed that Slovenia, with a population of around 2.1 million, thrives as an export-oriented economy thanks to its EU membership, offering Slovenian firms expertise in cutting-edge fields like digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and sustainability.

Both leaders underscored the mutual responsibility of their business communities in translating economic opportunities into tangible projects, while their respective governments work to foster an enabling environment for this cooperation. The Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce stressed the broader benefits of deepening the partnership, noting the Port of Koper's role in facilitating Egyptian goods to Central and Eastern European markets, while Egyptian ports provide Slovenian firms access to the Arab and African markets.