
Egypt, Canada commit to boosting trade, investment ties during Ottawa consultations - Foreign Affairs
This occurred during the bilateral political consultations held at the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa on Tuesday.
According to a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Assistant Foreign Minister for American Affairs Ambassador Sameh Aboul-Enein led the talks.
Aboul-Enein headed a high-level Egyptian delegation to Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa as part of a broader diplomatic and economic outreach effort.
During the Tuesday session, Egypt and Canada discussed a range of issues, including economic, development, cultural, and consular affairs, aimed at strengthening their long-standing relationship.
The meeting was particularly significant as both countries recently celebrated the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.
The discussions highlighted Egypt's favorable economic climate and its government's ongoing reform agenda, which has gained international recognition for its structural measures.
Moreover, the delegation presented a comprehensive overview of investment incentives and facilitation measures Egypt implemented to attract foreign capital and increase Egyptian exports to the Canadian market.
"Egypt aims to boost Canadian investments by 10 percent, targeting $2.2 billion by the end of 2025, up from the current $2 billion," Moataz Raslan, chairman of Canada-Egypt Business Council (CEBC), told Al Arabiya Business in March.
Raslan explained that several Canadian companies are exploring expansion opportunities in Egypt, with investments primarily focused on key sectors such as petrochemicals, services, and consultation.
Furthermore, the two sides discussed pressing international and regional challenges and Canada's priorities during its 2025 G7 presidency.
They also agreed to maintain close coordination and political dialogue in the future.
The Egyptian delegation's visit to Canada includes various meetings and activities, such as participating in economic events to foster cooperation in trade and investment and promote Egypt's private sector.
The visit also features engagements with prominent Canadian research centres and academic institutions, including the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.
Additionally, the delegation will meet with key Canadian trade and investment bodies and hold discussions with members of the Ontario Provincial Parliament and the Canadian Senate in Ottawa.
The delegation includes senior members of the Egyptian parliament and business leaders from the CEBC.
Among the senior officials accompanying the delegation are geologist Ahmed Fath El-Bab, acting director general of exploration at the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, and Mohamed Youssef, advisor to the chairman of the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones.
Follow us on:
Short link:
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al-Ahram Weekly
an hour ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt Foreign Ministry debunks 10 false claims on Rafah crossing, aid delivery into Gaza - Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has debunked 10 circulated allegations targeting Egypt regarding the Rafah crossing and the access of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. An infographic posted by the foreign ministry on its Facebook page on Thursday listed 10 false and true statements. Claim 1: Egypt has failed to provide aid to the Gaza Strip. Fact: This is a deliberate misrepresentation. Egypt has provided 70 percent of the total humanitarian aid that has entered Gaza since the beginning of the war. Egypt organized an international ministerial conference on the humanitarian response in Gaza in December 2024, with the participation of more than 100 delegations, to support the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people. Egypt received hundreds of injured and sick Palestinians in Egyptian hospitals. Egypt prepared a comprehensive plan for the reconstruction of Gaza. It has successfully mobilized support from the vast majority of countries and intends to organize an international conference to mobilize the necessary funding for its implementation. The complete Israeli blockade on Gaza has prevented aid from reaching the strip at a level commensurate with the scale of the humanitarian disaster. Claim 2: Rafah Crossing is a one-sided crossing controlled by Egypt. Fact: It is a false claim. The crossing consists of a gate on the Egyptian side and another gate on the Palestinian side, separated by a road. Crossing the gate on the Egyptian side does not constitute crossing the border between the two sides and does not provide access to the Gaza Strip. Access to the strip requires crossing the distance between the two gates and entering through the Palestinian gate for trucks and individuals. This has been impossible since the Israeli army occupied the Palestinian side of the crossing and completely prevented the passage of individuals and trucks, in addition to targeting the Palestinian side of the crossing militarily more than once. Claim 3: Egypt has closed the Rafah Crossing. Fact: This is a false claim. The crossing has not been closed on the Egyptian side since the beginning of the brutal war in Gaza. The Rafah Crossing gate on the Egyptian side is open, but the closure of the Palestinian gate prevents the entry of aid (there is no possibility of entering Gaza except through the Palestinian gate). Although the Rafah crossing is designated for the passage of individuals only, not trucks, Egypt has been able to allow thousands of trucks through it since the start of the war to expedite the delivery of aid. Claim 4: Egypt is participating in the blockade of Gaza. Fact: This is a deliberate lie. The Israeli occupation army completely besieges the Gaza Strip by land, sea, and air and controls all entry points into the Strip. Claim 5: The Rafah crossing is the only exit point for the Gaza Strip. Fact: This is incorrect. There are several other crossings in Gaza, such as the Karm Abu Salem crossing, the Erez crossing, the Sufa crossing, the Nahal Oz crossing, the Karni crossing, and the Kissufim crossing, all of which are fully controlled by Israel. Israel, the occupying power, obstructs the entry of any humanitarian aid through all the crossings it controls, including the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. Those who claim that Egypt is responsible for what is happening in the Gaza Strip should demand pressure on Israel to open all the crossings it controls. Claim 6: Egypt prevents public solidarity with Gaza. Fact: This is a false claim. Egypt has organized and facilitated visits to the Rafah and Arish crossings for numerous citizens and officials from humanitarian organizations, as well as for senior international officials. This included the UN Secretary-General and French President Macron, whose visit contributed to France's decision to recognize the Palestinian state. Egypt has also organized visits for foreign ministers, senior officials, and civil society representatives. Additionally, there are rules and regulations for conducting solidarity visits to these border areas based on the facts on the ground, given their proximity to a war zone and the need to take special measures to secure and protect participants in any marches or visits there. Claim 7: Egypt failed to support the Palestinian cause. Fact: This is a deliberate slander and lie. No country in the world has made as much effort or sacrifice for the Palestinian cause as Egypt. Egypt has played a key role as a mediator in the difficult and complex ceasefire negotiations, and its efforts succeeded in achieving this on 19 January 2025. However, Israel failed to fulfill its commitments. Egypt hosted the Cairo Peace Summit in October 2023 and the emergency Arab Summit in March 2025. It prepared a comprehensive plan for the reconstruction of Gaza, which contributed to halting displacement plans. It also played a leading role in coordinating Arab, Islamic, and international action on the Palestinian issue. Claim 8: Demonstrations in front of Egyptian embassies support the Palestinian cause. Fact: On the contrary, demonstrations in front of Egyptian embassies undermine Egypt's historical role in supporting the Palestinian cause and the sacrifices Egypt has made since the Nakba. They serve the Israeli occupation entirely, offering it a free gift. This contributes to distracting international and Arab public opinion from the real culprit behind the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip and easing the recent mounting international pressure to halt the blatant Israeli violations committed against the Palestinian people. It also diverts attention from the crimes the Palestinian people are suffering and targets Egypt, as the steadfast, fundamental pillar defending the rights of the Palestinian people. This severely harms the Palestinian struggle for independence and creates division among the Arab peoples, to the benefit of Israel. Claim 9: Egypt is not keen on stopping the famine in Gaza. Fact: This is an illogical claim. The entry of humanitarian aid is not only a moral, humanitarian, and legal duty but also serves the national interest by strengthening the Palestinian people, ensuring their steadfastness on their land, preventing their displacement, and preventing the implementation of 'alternative homeland' scenarios by starving the population to empty the land. Bringing in the largest possible amount of aid is a top priority for Egypt, primarily for moral and humanitarian reasons, and also to ensure an end to Israeli displacement plans and attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause by forcing the Palestinian people to leave their land. Claim 10: Criticizing the Egyptian role aims to alleviate the suffering in Gaza. Fact: There are deliberate attempts to systematically distort and cast doubt on the Egyptian role, and to deliberately falsify facts with the aim of undermining Egypt's role, frustrating the Arab peoples, creating divisions among them, and weakening Palestinian resilience. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:


Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
‘The Africa we want is not just a dream' - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty last week toured six African countries, namely Chad, Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Senegal, on a trip that saw important discussions with the local authorities on the part of the Egyptian business delegation that accompanied him. According to Ramadan Kurani, an expert in African affairs, this was a strategic trip for three main reasons. First, it defied allegations that Egypt's foreign policy is focused on certain regions in Africa, namely the Nile Basin, East Africa, and Southern Africa. Abdelatty's tour to West Africa, together with the visits of senior officials from Egypt and these countries during the past year, proved Egypt's willingness to boost its relations with all five regions of the continent, North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa, he said. A second reason is the fact that West Africa is intertwined with the Sahel and Sahara, an area facing security challenges, given that both the Islamic State (IS) group and Al-Qaeda are actively present there. 'The stability of this area is directly linked to Egypt's national security,' Kurani said. Thirdly, the choice of countries included Nigeria, one of the most important economic and political powers in West Africa, Senegal, which has deep cultural and economic ties with the other West African countries, and the three Sahel states of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which are facing growing challenges in the fight against terrorism. Chad, along with Egypt, is working on establishing a road network that will link the two countries together with Libya. The two countries are cooperating on the economic and security levels to combat terrorism in the Sahel and Sahara. Egypt and Chad host the largest number of Sudanese refugees from the conflict in Sudan. Abdelatty delivered a written message from President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi to the heads of state he visited, reaffirming Egypt's close relations with each and with the continent as a whole. On the economic level, 30 business leaders and representatives of Egyptian companies accompanied Abdelatty on his tour. Kurani noted that this was new in Egypt's diplomacy with the African countries. He explained that while historical and cultural relations between Egypt and the African states are rich, this has not always been reflected in economic cooperation. 'The African states can benefit from cooperation with Egypt in infrastructure, energy, medicine, and education. This is win-win cooperation as the Egyptian economy would also benefit,' Kurani said. The African states, he added, have taken positive steps to attract foreign investors. The economic delegation that accompanied Abdelatty's tour had explored opportunities for Egyptian investors to enter the markets of these states, he said. He said that one of the factors that will make Egyptian investment welcome in these countries is the fact that Egypt does not have a history of occupation of any African state. 'The activation of economic diplomacy goes hand in hand with political diplomacy, which will benefit Egypt as well as the African states,' Kurani said. On the societal level, Kurani explained, the six countries included in the tour can be described as Western Islamic states or part of the Western Islamic belt of Africa. Egypt's cultural relations with these countries are strong and boosting these and enhancing Egypt's soft power there is important, he said. The community of Egyptian expats, businesses, and Al-Azhar scholars can play an influential role in enhancing ties. 'When the Arab Contractors Company, for instance, initiates a project in an African state, it usually establishes a health centre, a mosque, or an education centre as well. After completing the project, they leave these establishments as a gift to the state,' he said. Egypt's investment in these countries amounts to $2 billion, 'but our soft power also guarantees an effective Egyptian presence in these countries,' Kurani noted. The Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EAPD) is very active in most of these countries. It supports Africa's developmental aspirations through capacity-building assistance, the transfer of knowledge, skills, and expertise, and the promotion of the creative industries. Meanwhile, Kurani said that Egypt will no longer be deceived by statements on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) being built on the Upper Nile by Ethiopia. 'Today, the GERD is complete. The main issue now is not the dam itself, but the technicalities of its future operation,' he said. If Ethiopia wants a genuine solution to differences on the dam, it must have the political will to enter negotiations. There should also be legally binding regulations for all the involved parties. US President Donald Trump's statements last week aimed to affect Egypt's position on other important issues, namely Gaza and the displacement of the Palestinians, a move which Egypt has repeatedly and categorically rejected. His statements aimed at either acknowledging the righteousness of Egypt's stand on the GERD, Kurani said, or were an attempt to convince the world that he deserves a Nobel Prize. He added that Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had been provocative when he invited both Egypt and Sudan to the inauguration of the GERD in September. 'The inauguration is part of a political propaganda campaign by the Prosperity Party, Ahmed's ruling party, that uses the dam as a political project to distract attention from internal and border problems.' However, Kurani expressed optimism that the restart of the negotiations may bear fruit, noting that the present negotiating environment is different from that of 2019-2020. The internal problems Ethiopia faces today, together with recent developments in Sudan, may pave the way for better outcomes, he said. 'I am not saying that we will easily get concessions from Ethiopia, but the current environment will help maintain Egypt's water security. The positive point is that Ethiopia or any other African state will think twice before causing any harm to Egypt's water security,' he said. Regarding Egypt's role in promoting the Agenda 2063 aimed at achieving an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful Africa driven by its citizens, Kurani noted that Egypt has, since 2014, worked to boost its diplomacy across Africa. Studies show that 30 per cent of President Al-Sisi's external tours have been to African states. During Al-Sisi's address to the African Union's (AU) Seventh Mid-Year Coordination Meeting held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, earlier this month, he called on all African countries to work collectively to overcome challenges, stating that 'the Africa we want is not a dream but a near reality.' 'Such a slogan is very important for political, cultural, and strategic détente among the African states,' Kurani said. Agenda 2063 has various targets, mainly the integration and development of the continent. With that in mind, Egypt is working on multiple areas, including improving infrastructure across the African states and establishing a free-trade zone. It is advancing these goals through two important centres: the Cairo International Centre for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding and the African Union Sahel and Sahara Counter-Terrorism Centre. These centres, together with the EAPD, play key roles in supporting development according to the Agenda 2063 framework. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:


Al-Ahram Weekly
3 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
El-Sisi commends UK stance on Palestinian statehood in phone call with Starmer - Foreign Affairs
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi commended PM Keir Starmer for his recent announcements that the UK would recognize the State of Palestine in September if Israel does not immediately agree to ending the war and blockade in Gaza. During a phone call on Thursday with the UK PM, the Egyptian president described the recent UK step as a "positive impetus" toward securing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. This includes their right to an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the 1967 borders, El-Sisi added, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian presidency. Furthermore, the Egyptian president reiterated that a just and comprehensive two-state solution is the only path to achieving lasting peace and stability in the region. President El-Sisi also shared with PM Starmer Egypt's vision for de-escalating the conflict in the Gaza Strip, the statement noted. Additionally, he highlighted Egypt's continuous efforts to secure a ceasefire, expedite the delivery of humanitarian aid, and facilitate the release of captives and detainees. President El-Sisi also urged that the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip begin as soon as possible and reaffirmed Egypt's firm rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians from their lands. On Monday, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced that Egypt is committed to organizing an international conference for the reconstruction of Gaza once the Israeli war on the Palestinian Strip ends. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Starmer announced the UK will formally recognize the State of Palestine in September unless Israel takes various "substantive steps" in Gaza, including agreeing to a ceasefire. Starmer told his ministers that London will formally recognize a Palestinian state in September if the Israeli government has not taken the steps demanded, his office said. They include ending "the appalling situation in Gaza", reaching a ceasefire, making "clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank", and committing "to a long-term peace process that delivers a two-state solution," it added. "I have always said that we will recognize a Palestinian state as a contribution to a proper peace process at the moment of maximum impact for the two-state solution," Starmer later said in a Downing Street address. "With that solution now under threat, this is the moment to act." The UK is one of several Western countries that have recently indicated their intent to recognize Palestinian statehood. Last week, France announced its intent to recognize Palestinian statehood at the upcoming UN General Assembly in September. Canada and Malta made a similar announcement on Thursday. This shift comes amid growing global outrage over the images of Palestinians dying of hunger from starvation due to a five-month-long Israeli blockade on all food, water, and medicine to the strip. It also comes amid increasing international pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza and cease its settlement expansion in the West Bank. To date, 147 of the 193 UN member states—roughly three-quarters—have recognised the Palestinian state. Since the outbreak of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, several countries such as Norway, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia. Since 2012, Palestine has been granted non-member observer status at the UN There have even been calls for Palestine to be granted full membership to the UN, a move that would grant it the right to vote and fully participate. In its genocidal war in Gaza since October 2023, Israel has killed 60,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 150,000, mostly women and children. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link: