Ismailia: Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Osama Rabie, met with Francesco Talo, the Italian Envoy for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project, to discuss avenues for joint cooperation. The meeting took place at the SCA headquarters in Ismailia governorate and was attended by Ashraf Atwa, Vice Chairman of the SCA, several members of the authority's board of directors, and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the meeting was part of the Italian envoy's official visit to Cairo, aimed at fostering cooperation and coordination between the SCA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The visit provided an opportunity to closely examine the Suez Canal and its development projects. Rabie highlighted the Suez Canal's role as a key player in global trade, noting its strategic importance as the shortest and safest route connecting the East and the West.

Rabie outlined the SCA's commitment to development and modernization, emphasizing the introduction of new navigational services tailored to the needs of vessels crossing the Canal. He detailed services such as vessel maintenance, marine ambulance, rescue, and crew change, and mentioned strides made in updating the fleet and localizing the marine unit industry. Rabie also shared positive navigation statistics from last October, indicating a 16.3% increase in net tonnage and a 17.5% rise in revenues compared to the previous year.

Francesco Talo commended the SCA's efforts in addressing geopolitical challenges and ensuring the continuity of global supply chains. He stressed the importance of navigation security in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab and the necessity of collaborative efforts to restore regional navigation stability. Talo highlighted the significance of the Suez Canal as a critical route for European trade and reiterated Italy's interest in strengthening cooperation with the SCA to bolster Egypt's role in the IMEC project for strategic integration and mutual benefits.