Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Thursday opened the Egyptian-Malian Business Forum in Bamako, a move aimed at boosting economic and trade partnerships, with Abdelatty saying Cairo is keen to invest in Mali’s key sectors.
The forum was attended by a high-level Malian delegation, including Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop and Minister of Industry and Commerce Moussa Al-Hassan Diallo, as well as a large Egyptian business delegation of 30 company heads and representatives.
The Egyptian delegation included representatives from the Federation of Egyptian Industries, the Export Council for Medical Industries, the Future of Egypt for Sustainable Development Agency, the Egyptian Exporters Association, the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation, and the Mineral Resources Authority.
In his opening remarks, Abdelatty said the Egyptian-Malian Business Forum represented a “new and important station” in strengthening economic ties and opened “unprecedented horizons” for the private sectors in both countries to develop partnerships. He said the event was a key step in institutional cooperation, with work underway to establish an Egyptian-Malian business council.
Abdelatty expressed Egypt’s serious desire to expand its investments in Mali, especially in priority sectors for the Malian government such as textiles, wood, and pharmaceuticals, in line with Mali’s national development plans, including its “Mali Kura 2063” vision.
He highlighted that Egypt possesses extensive experience in implementing strategic projects in infrastructure, agriculture, energy, and communications.
For his part, Malian Minister of Industry and Commerce Moussa Al-Hassan Diallo said his government places “special importance” on cooperation with Egypt and praised its experience in supporting development on the African continent.
He said Mali looks forward to benefiting from Egypt’s expertise in infrastructure, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and energy, adding that the forum “embodies the joint political will to elevate the level of economic and investment cooperation.”
Abdelatty also affirmed Egypt’s security partnership with Mali, stressing the importance of a comprehensive approach that links security and development to achieve sustainable peace.
The forum is a key event in Abdelatty’s multi-nation tour of West Africa, which is aimed at strengthening Egypt’s political and economic ties with the region.
