Cairo: Dr Mohamed Farid Saleh, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, received Mark Brayson-Richardson, the United Kingdom's Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt, along with his delegation to discuss strengthening the economic and investment partnership between the two countries and addressing key areas within their joint cooperation agenda.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the minister emphasized Egypt's commitment to deepening economic ties with the United Kingdom, highlighting its role as a crucial trading and investment partner. British companies are major investors in the Egyptian market, contributing to job creation, export growth, and expertise transfer.

The discussions included expanding access for Egyptian agricultural products to the UK market, aiming to balance trade and enhance the competitiveness of Egyptian goods internationally. The minister outlined priorities such as digitalizing services and developing integrated databases to improve decision-making and institutional performance.

Dr Saleh highlighted the importance of building an accurate, up-to-date database to enhance transparency and the investment climate. He mentioned efforts to resolve investor issues through direct coordination with relevant authorities, thereby improving the business environment and achieving investor satisfaction.

The ministry aims to attract strategic investors in priority sectors and build an integrated industrial base to boost the Egyptian economy's competitiveness. The British ambassador reiterated the UK's commitment to developing the economic partnership with Egypt, noting its status as a leading foreign investor in the Egyptian market. The UK seeks to expand cooperation in export finance and regional projects, particularly in Africa, and strengthen partnerships in green transition and sustainable investments.

The meeting also focused on activating cooperation with UK Export Finance to support Egyptian companies, especially contractors and property developers, in expanding into African markets. This would involve joint risk-sharing mechanisms with local insurers, enhancing the competitiveness of national companies and supporting economic integration between the two countries.