The meeting comes as part of ongoing preparations for the
anticipated visit of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Cairo in autumn 2025.
The visit is expected to represent an important step toward elevating bilateral
relations between Egypt and the United Kingdom to the level of a comprehensive
strategic partnership.
El-Sherif discussed ways to enhance agricultural and trade
cooperation and to follow up on joint priority areas. He highlighted the
growing demand for Egyptian agricultural products in the UK market.
He stated that trade exchange between Egypt and the United
Kingdom reached about £2.9 billion in 2024. Egyptian exports recorded £1.4
billion, while imports from the UK amounted to £1.5 billion. He added that
British investments in Egypt stood at nearly £20.6 billion by the end of
February 2025 through 2,103 companies operating across various economic
sectors.
El-Sherif affirmed that the efforts made within the
Agricultural Review Mechanism will contribute to expanding the access of
Egyptian agricultural exports to the UK market. He noted that these efforts
will also help attract more British companies to invest in Egypt, given the
country’s promising opportunities and favorable investment climate.
The meeting was attended by Ambassador Wael Hamed, Assistant
Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs. Representatives from the
Customs Authority, the Central Administration of Agricultural Quarantine, and
the Central Administration of Veterinary Quarantine at the Ministry of
Agriculture also took part. Minister Plenipotentiary for Trade Rasha Galal,
Director of the European Union Affairs Department, and First Commercial
Secretary Mona Abboud from the ECS European Affairs Department also participated.