Governor of Egypt’s coastal governorate Alexandria, Mohamed El-Sherif, has received South Korean Ambassador to Egypt, Hong JinWook, to discuss supporting Korean companies operating in Alexandria.
They also stressed the need to activate the sistership agreement between Alexandria and Incheon city in South Korea.
El-Sherif thanked the Korean government for the ongoing cooperation on the Urban Transport Modernization Masterplan project through the Korean Ministry of Land and Transportation, stressing that the governorate will continue its support to the project.
Ambassador Hong also met with Tarek Shahin, Chairperson of the Alexandria Port Authority.
They discussed the memorandum of understanding signed between the Busan Port Authority (BPA) and the Alexandria Port Authority in September 2015, as well as the memorandum for cooperation between the Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Egyptian Ministry of Transport on the development of Alexandria Port in March 2016.
The Korean Ambassador expressed hope that the bilateral cooperation between the two sides could be further strengthened and consolidated.
Ambassador Hong added that the scope of cooperation could be expanded greatly, especially as the Korean government has designated Egypt as a priority country for the Official Development Assistance ODA for the coming five years, expecting this to help realize more tangible cooperation projects. Furthermore, Ambassador Hong requested support of the Alexandria Port Authority to Korean companies using Alexandria Port for handling their trade, which contributes greatly to the Egyptian economy.
For his part, Shahin briefed the Korean Ambassador on the Alexandria Port Authority development plan, expressing hope for more investments from Korean companies.
He stressed the importance of capacity building and knowledge sharing on port management within the framework of the already signed memorandum between the two port authorities.
Following the meeting, both officials toured the major facilities and development work at the Alexandria Port.
Moreover, Ambassador Hong met with Director of Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Mostafa El-Fekki.
Hong stressed the importance of cultural cooperation between the two countries, including the archiving systems and the documentation project using the Korean traditional paper (Hanji), as well as the contribution of Korean companies through corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.
Ambassador Hong noted that the Chief Librarian of the Korean National Assembly will visit Egypt in December, revealing their willingness to sign a memorandum of understanding for cooperation with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
Mostafa agreed on the need to promote cultural cooperation between the two countries, taking advantage of Korea’s advanced information technology and Egypt’s rich cultural heritage. Mostafa highlighted the importance that the President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi attaches on culture, expressing hope that more culture exchanges and visits vy Korean delegations to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
