Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will meet with his Japanese counterpart Hayashi Yoshimasa on Tuesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo.
The two ministers will discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Egypt and Japan, following the agreement between President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and the Japanese Prime Minister to elevate their relations to a strategic partnership level. They will also hold a joint press conference after the talks on Tuesday afternoon.
The visit of the Japanese Foreign Minister to Cairo is part of the regular communication and consultation on issues of mutual interest, as well as regional and international affairs.
The visit coincides with the third round of the Arab-Japanese political dialogue, as well as the trilateral consultations between Egypt, Japan, and Jordan.
Takada Katsunobu, the deputy head of the Japanese embassy in Cairo, said that the visit is a follow-up to the Japanese Prime Minister’s visit to Cairo last April and his visit to the Gulf countries last July.
He explained that the Foreign Minister’s visit to Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia aims to expand bilateral relations and cooperation with Arab countries through the Japan-Arab dialogue, which will take place on 5 September, as well as to launch trilateral consultations between Egypt, Jordan, and Japan.
Katsunobu pointed out in a press briefing that enhancing economic cooperation with Egypt is one of the main topics for the future of relations between the two countries, noting that the volume of Japanese investments in Egypt doubled in 2022 compared to 2021 and reached $71.7m.
He said that the visit will focus on how to strengthen economic cooperation with Arab officials, adding that preparations are underway for the Arab-Japanese Economic Forum next year.
He also mentioned some areas of cooperation that will be discussed during the Foreign Minister’s visit to Egypt, such as increasing the number of Japanese schools in Egypt, resuming direct flights between Cairo and Tokyo, and opening the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is in its final stages.
Katsunobu also referred to technical cooperation in the Suez Canal Zone, where Japan is working on a new project to build the capacities of workers in the Suez Canal.
He concluded by saying that the visit comes at a time when the world is facing great challenges at regional and international levels. He added that there are changing diplomatic dynamics in the region that are pushing Japan to strengthen its engagement in the region.
