Minister Farouk opened the meeting by emphasizing the strong Egypt-Romania relationship, particularly in agricultural trade of strategic commodities. He noted Romania's crucial role as a primary source of Egypt's imported wheat, providing about one million tons annually. Farouk also expressed Egypt's desire for increased cooperation in agricultural investment and mechanization, leveraging Romania's expertise in manufacturing and after-sales services, in line with the executive plan signed late last year.
Farouk emphasized the importance of manufacturing Romanian
agricultural equipment in Egypt through partnerships with the Egyptian private
sector, citing Romania's strong industrial reputation in the region. He also
highlighted Egypt's role as a gateway to the African market, noting that
Egyptian-Romanian cooperation could lead to successful partnerships in both the
Middle East and African markets.
For her part, Ambassador Toderean confirmed that the Romanian
Minister of Agriculture is expected to visit Cairo to discuss key topics,
primarily Romanian agricultural exports to Egypt, especially wheat. This
ministerial visit is also anticipated to include the participation of several
Romanian private sector companies.
During the meeting, both sides highlighted the significant
increase in bilateral trade, which exceeded $1 billion in 2024. They also
emphasized the need for a feasibility study focused on private sector
cooperation, to be conducted through intensive virtual meetings prior to the
anticipated Romanian ministerial visit to Egypt.
Minister Farouk directed the Ministry's Foreign Agricultural
Relations department to coordinate with the Romanian side for joint virtual
meetings between the Egyptian and Romanian private sectors. The goal is to immediately
boost agricultural cooperation and facilitate new economic partnerships across
various agricultural activities.
The meeting was attended by Gheorghe Peterson, Commercial
Counselor of the Romanian Embassy, and Candian Pop, a Romanian investor working
in the food sector in Egypt, on the Romanian side. From the Egyptian side,
Engineer Mostafa El-Sayyad, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Land
Reclamation, and Dr. Saad Moussa, Supervisor of Foreign Agricultural Relations,
were present.
At the meeting's conclusion, Ambassador Olivia Toderean and her delegation visited the Agricultural Museum in Dokki at the invitation of the Minister of Agriculture. She expressed her delight at the significant agricultural heritage on display and the thorough documentation of Egyptian agricultural history. She also noted the importance of such a remarkable institution for anyone interested in the origins and development of agricultural history.