The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9) summit.
Madbouly praised JBIC's role in financing priority projects
in Egypt, especially in the renewable energy sector. He also expressed
appreciation for the cooperation in issuing Samurai bonds and said he hoped for
continued collaboration, noting that Egypt's economic reform program has
yielded positive indicators.
The Prime Minister highlighted the opportunity for a
Japanese industrial zone in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, citing Egypt’s
membership in various economic blocs and its strategic location that allows for
easy access to European and other markets. He noted that the government's
incentives are designed to attract more Japanese firms.
Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International
Cooperation Dr. Rania Al-Mashat discussed the government's efforts to deepen
cooperation with JBIC and its push to strengthen the private sector's role in
the economy.
For his part, Hayashi agreed on the importance of increasing
the presence of Japanese companies in Egypt, noting the improvement and
stability of the Egyptian economy. He said he has already conveyed this
positive outlook to many Japanese companies.
Hayashi also mentioned his awareness of the benefits of investing in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and said he would continue to promote it to Japanese firms. He pointed to renewable energy as a key area for cooperation and suggested potential joint investments between Japanese and Gulf companies in Egypt.