Mr. Ayman Ashry, chairman of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce, received Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and his delegation. The delegation included Ambassador Ahmed Shaheen, Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs; Mr. Thulan, the Chargé d'Affaires at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Cairo; and Mr. Lakshitha, the Director-General of Middle East and Africa Affairs at the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Ahmed El-Wakeel, Chairman of the General Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, attended the meeting. Members of the Cairo Chamber’s Board, including Mr. Sherif Yehia, Vice Chairman of the Chamber; Engineer Tarek El-Sallab; Mr. Ibrahim El-Maghraby; Mr. Ihab Said; Mr. Khaled Hassanein; and Dr. Alaa Ezz, Secretary-General of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, also participated.
Mr. Ayman Ashry emphasized the importance of leveraging our growing political ties to support economic relations, both bilaterally and regionally. He expressed confidence in developing economic relations in both directions, whether in trade, investment, tourism, or services. Currently, there are significant opportunities to expand bilateral commerce, particularly in the fields of Egyptian fertilizers, textiles, and citrus, as well as Sri Lankan tea, tires, trailers, and clothing. Egyptian companies should capitalize on Sri Lankan industries for joint manufacturing, adding value with components from both countries for export to neighboring countries, thereby enhancing exports from both nations.
Mr. Ayman Ashry stated that Sri Lankan companies should make use of Egypt's location and ports to establish logistical centers for their exports, especially in the Suez Canal Zone, to facilitate easier, faster, and more cost-effective access to their export markets. He stressed the importance of expanding our tourism exchange and, in this regard, advocated for the establishment of a direct flight between the two nations. He also invited Egyptian tourism and real estate investment companies to consider investing in Sri Lanka, as well as in infrastructure, leveraging their expertise in rapid development plans implemented in Egypt and similar to Sri Lanka. Egypt has actively sought to welcome this cooperation with countries worldwide, having implemented a series of legislative, procedural, and structural reforms to facilitate the business climate. The country has also provided numerous industrial, commercial, and logistical zones throughout Egypt, following an urgent program to develop and enhance infrastructure, which coincided with major projects in various fields.
Therefore, representatives of the private sector from both sides should create partnerships, alliances, and new investments, taking advantage of the immense opportunities offered by both countries today. We have strong political intent to encourage economic partnerships, as well as attractive potential for collaboration in industry, agriculture, services, infrastructure, major projects, and strategic sites, as well as a vibrant and energetic business community.
Mr. Ayman Ashry affirmed that Egypt has witnessed unprecedented development in various fields in recent years, with infrastructure that encourages investment, thanks to the efforts of the Egyptian political leadership and the continuous directives of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to achieve sustainable development.
