Egypt has signed a shipping protocol with Turkey that the transportation minister has called a large step in increasing maritime trade between countries in the greater region.
The agreement establishes direct shipping lines between the two countries, allowing Egyptian shipments to travel to Europe via Turkey, and Turkish shipments to cross the Arab gulf and Africa via Egypt, Transportation Minister Galal al-Saeed said in an address Wednesday.
Speaking during a conference on maritime partnerships and trade between Arab countries in Beirut, the minister said the Turkey-Egypt protocol was a large step in increasing maritime trade between countries in the greater region.
Continuing to develop the harbors and ports in neighboring and Arab countries, he said, will greatly benefit Arab countries’ economies and communication between them.
The minister said countries in the Arab region have failed to “take advantage of their excellent location in order to expand the intra-regional trade among themselves and the whole world.”
Galal also acknowledged the challenges to developing maritime trade in the Arab countries, saying the countries must first increase the number of ships, update technology in ports and advance maritime communication techniques.
Edited translation from MENA
