Foreign Ministers Mariya Gabriel of Bulgaria and Sameh Shoukry of Egypt signed a joint statement following the first sitting of the Joint Cooperation Commission, held at Egypt's new administrative capital on Saturday. The sitting focused on the strengthening of bilateral ties and the potential for joint cooperation.
The Joint Cooperation Commission was set up in 2018 as a bilateral framework for coordinating the policy of the bilateral ties and control over the implementation of the bilateral agreements and cooperation programmes. The Commission is headed by the Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria and Egypt.
Saturday's joint statement reads that the sides will broaden their economic and energy cooperation. SMEs will be supported. An agreement was also reached on improving connectivity and transport links through the two countries' ports and launching direct flights between Cairo and Sofia.
The sides discussed the growing geopolitical tension in the international environment. They exchanged their visions on Europe's and the Balkans' development, the growing tension in the Middle East against the backdrop of the Gaza conflict and the potential regional conflicts.
The sides agreed to renew the annual sittings of the Joint Cooperation Commission. Next year's meeting will be held in Sofia.
Attending on Bulgaria's side were Defence Minister Todor Tagarev, Energy Minister Rumen Radev, Economy and Industry Minister Bogdan Bogdanov, Transport and Communications Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov, and Innovation and Growth Minister Milena Stoycheva. Attending on the Egyptian side were Minister of Petroleum and Metallurgical Wealth Tarek El-Molla, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Ahmed Sameeh Talaat, Minister of Transport Kamel Al-Wazir, Minister of Trade and IndustryAhmed Samir Saleh, and Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Eissa Taha Eissa Abu Hussein.
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