Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty held a phone call on Monday with Slovenia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tone Kajzer to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.
At the outset of the call, Abdelatty congratulated his Slovenian counterpart on assuming his new position and expressed his aspiration to continue working together to advance bilateral relations across the political, economic, trade and investment fields.
The foreign minister welcomed the outcomes of the second session of the Egyptian-Slovenian Joint Economic Committee, which was held in Ljubljana in 2024 under the co-chairmanship of the two countries’ foreign ministers. He also expressed hope that Cairo would host the committee’s third session later this year, contributing to enhanced economic and trade cooperation between the two sides.
In discussing ways to boost economic cooperation, Abdelatty reviewed opportunities to increase Egyptian exports to European Union markets through Slovenia, as well as the possibility of launching a maritime shipping route that would facilitate the access of Egyptian products to European markets.
The two ministers also discussed prospects for expanding cooperation in the ports sector beyond the existing partnership between the ports of Koper and Alexandria to include other Egyptian ports, notably Ain Sokhna and Damietta.
The ministers exchanged views on developments in the region, particularly the Palestinian issue. Abdelatty stressed the importance of implementing the requirements of the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan in a manner that ensures full and sustainable access for humanitarian assistance and supports early recovery efforts as well as the rehabilitation of infrastructure and basic services.
He also underscored the importance of advancing the implementation of the two-state solution, ensuring the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant international legitimacy resolutions.
For his part, Slovenia’s foreign minister expressed appreciation for the notable progress in bilateral relations between the two countries and affirmed his country’s desire to continue strengthening frameworks of joint cooperation in various fields.
He also highlighted the importance of elevating economic cooperation to reflect the depth and development of bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of maritime transport and ports, as well as enhancing air connectivity and the exchange of flights between the two countries.
