Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty, on Tuesday September 1, 2026, said that the relations between Egypt and Burkina Faso have gained increasing momentum recently, reflecting the fraternal ties between the two countries and their political will to strengthen bilateral relations and encourage businessmen to establish joint investments.
Abdelatty made the remarks during a joint press conference with Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation Karamoko Jean Marie Traore, following their talks at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in the New Capital.
Abdelatty welcomed his Burkinabe counterpart and his accompanying delegation during their current visit to Cairo, saying the visit reflects the depth of relations between the two countries.
The foreign minister praised the distinguished relations and close cooperation between Egypt and Burkina Faso in several domains.
He said the talks focused on bilateral cooperation and ways to strengthen it, in line with the directives of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Burkina Faso President Captain Ibrahim Traore.
Abdelatty added that he reaffirmed during the talks Egypt’s support for Sahel states — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger — in their efforts to combat terrorism.
Meanwhile, the two sides condemned the failed coup attempt that took place in Niger.
Abdelatty affirmed that Egypt, under the direct guidance of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, has not and will not hesitate to provide all possible support to its brothers in the Sahel in their efforts to combat terrorism, restore stability and advance development in the region’s countries.
He said that, alongside ongoing efforts to strengthen political, military and security relations, the talks addressed Egypt’s full readiness to provide Burkina Faso with all possible support in counterterrorism efforts, whether through training courses or capacity-building programmes.
Abdelatty added that terrorism is a global, cross-border phenomenon that no country can confront alone. He noted that there was agreement on the soundness of Egypt’s vision and comprehensive approach to combating terrorism. Talks also addressed Al-Azhar Al-Sharif’s readiness to provide training for young imams from Burkina Faso and other Sahel countries, as well as to strengthen Al-Azhar’s mission and receive students from the Sahel region for study in Egypt.
Talks also covered the Aswan Forum, scheduled to hold its next edition in Aswan in November. Abdelatty said he had invited his Burkinabe counterpart to participate in the forum.
The foreign minister said the two sides also discussed economic and investment cooperation. A business forum between the two countries is currently being held, with the participation of around 80 senior business leaders, to explore investment and trade opportunities and establish partnerships between the private sectors of Egypt and Burkina Faso.
Abdelatty also referred to the tour he made last year of the three Sahel countries, accompanied by a delegation of Egyptian business leaders. He said he would invite Burkinabe business leaders to participate in the El Alamein Business Forum, to be hosted by the city of El Alamein from October 2 to 4. The forum will coincide with the mid-year African Union summit and will bring together a number of African presidents, along with major African companies and business leaders, as part of Egypt’s vision of finding African solutions to the continent’s economic challenges.
He stressed that Egypt is seeking to expand its investments across Africa, which currently amount to nearly $14 billion and continue to grow steadily.
For his part, the Burkinabe foreign minister expressed his thanks and appreciation to his Egyptian counterpart for the invitation to visit Egypt, noting that this was his second visit to the country, which, he said, reflected the depth of relations between the two countries.
He praised the close cooperation between Burkina Faso and Egypt, noting that his accompanying delegation included a large number of business leaders seeking to build on the progress made during the Egyptian foreign minister’s visit to Burkina Faso last year. He stressed the importance of the economic partnership between the two countries, saying efforts would be made to further strengthen it.
The Burkinabe foreign minister conveyed the appreciation and thanks of the Burkinabe president to President El-Sisi, praising the Egyptian president’s efforts and vision in promoting peace.
Responding to a question from the Middle East News Agency (MENA) on whether the talks had resulted in agreement on specific investment projects, Foreign Minister Abdelatty said discussions held during the talks, as well as those at the business forum with high-level participation, focused on doubling trade between the two countries. He added that a number of specific projects had been identified for implementation in the food, energy and pharmaceutical sectors.
Abdelatty noted that the Burkinabe minister would visit the Egypt Pharmaceutical City during his stay in Cairo.
He explained that a number of Egyptian companies were interested not only in exporting pharmaceuticals to Burkina Faso but also in establishing manufacturing facilities there, particularly for pharmaceutical packaging, as well as cooperating in the production of various vaccines.
He also pointed to cooperation in infrastructure, noting that the Arab Contractors Company is operating in Burkina Faso, as well as cooperation in the agricultural sector. He described all these areas as important sectors, adding that the two sides had discussed various financing models, including payments in foreign currency, barter arrangements involving goods, and payment through projects.
In response to journalists’ questions, the Burkinabe foreign minister stressed the need to intensify efforts to combat terrorism and confront terrorist organizations through an integrated approach combining security measures with economic and cultural development.
He said combating terrorism required security operations on the ground alongside efforts to address economic and cultural dimensions in ways that tackle the underlying factors contributing to the spread of extremism. In this regard, he highlighted the role of the Confederation established by Burkina Faso in 2024 with Mali and Niger to cooperate in combating terrorism.
Regarding the future of partnerships and projects between Egypt and West African and Sahel countries, Abdelatty affirmed that Africa represents one of the main pillars of Egyptian foreign policy. He said President El-Sisi had repeatedly directed the government to pursue greater engagement with the African continent, to which Egypt takes pride in belonging.
The foreign minister announced that he would undertake African tours in the coming months, including visits to countries in Central and West Africa as well as Southern Africa, as part of Egypt’s efforts to strengthen its presence and reposition itself on the continent.
He said Egypt had established a number of new mechanisms to support its presence in Africa, including an investment entity that will be announced soon to promote Egyptian investments across the continent, particularly in manufacturing, agriculture and education. He also pointed to a financing mechanism worth around $100 million from the Egyptian budget to support development in Africa, in addition to the Egyptian agency for guaranteeing trade and investment on the continent.
Abdelatty highlighted the role of the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development in providing training and capacity-building programmes across Africa and dispatching medical convoys.
The foreign minister stressed that the security and stability of the Sahel region are a major priority for Egypt due to its geographical proximity. He noted that Libya and Sudan, which are neighbouring countries of Egypt, are also neighbours of Sahel countries. Therefore, he said, strengthening state institutions in Burkina Faso and other Sahel countries in their fight against terrorism is of utmost importance, and Egypt will continue to provide support in this regard.
Regarding relations with Egypt, the Burkinabe foreign minister described cooperation between his country and Egypt as “fruitful” across all fields, particularly the political sphere, noting that diplomatic relations between the two countries date back to 1960.
