Ashraf AboArafe
Dr. Badr Abdel Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, received on Thursday, April 24, Mr. Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy. Political consultations were held between the two sides, in the presence of Dr. Mahmoud Esmat, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy. The consultations addressed bilateral relations between Egypt and Italy and regional and international developments of mutual interest.
Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Minister Abdel Aty praised the close and historical relations between the two friendly countries during the consultations. He expressed appreciation for Italy’s support for Egypt within European Union institutions and the European Parliament’s vote on April 1, 2025, to support the second tranche of the European financial package to Egypt, worth €4 billion. He also expressed Italy’s support for Egypt in international forums, including Egypt’s nominations to international organizations.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized Egypt’s interest in supporting economic and investment relations with Italy and enhancing trade exchange between the two countries, including through the reactivation of the Egyptian-Italian Business Council. In this context, Minister Abdel Aty reviewed Egypt’s efforts to attract foreign direct investment to Egypt, the incentives the Egyptian government offers to foreign investors, and the guarantees it provides to protect their investments. He pointed to the extensive reforms undertaken by the Egyptian government to modernize economic and financial policies and its focus on localizing industry within Egypt. He expressed his aspiration to enhance cooperation with the Italian side in this regard, as well as cooperation in the fields of energy, renewable energy, and natural gas, given Egypt’s potential in terms of both natural resources and infrastructure. He also praised the important role played by Italian companies in the natural gas sector.
The official spokesperson added that the Minister of Foreign Affairs praised the existing cooperation with Italy in the field of immigration, especially in light of Egypt hosting more than 9 million foreigners and the resulting economic burdens it bears. He emphasized the importance of adopting an approach that encompasses all developmental and social aspects, working to strengthen regular migration routes, implementing vocational training projects and programs, and exporting Egyptian labor to Italy.
The Egyptian-Italian consultations also addressed a number of regional issues of mutual interest. The two ministers exchanged views on several regional issues, most notably the Palestinian issue. Minister Abdel-Ati reviewed Egypt’s efforts to return to the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the need to immediately begin implementing the second phase of the agreement and allow humanitarian aid to reach the Gaza Strip. He emphasized Egypt’s position rejecting the displacement of Palestinians from their land. Minister Abdel-Ati briefed his Italian counterpart on the elements of the Arab-Islamic plan for the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza, and Egypt’s efforts to host an international conference for the reconstruction of the Strip in cooperation with the United Nations and the Palestinian government.
The two ministers also discussed developments in several regional issues, including those in Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and the Horn of Africa, as well as Egypt’s water security issue.
At the end of the consultations, the two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding on “Promoting Decent Work and Mobility Opportunities for Egyptians,” under which an Egyptian-Italian center will be established to serve as a platform for employment and the export of Egyptian labor to Italy. A Memorandum of Understanding on “Cooperation in the Field of Energy Transition” was also signed.
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