Egypt Daily News – Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, delivered a speech during the press conference held today, Tuesday, with Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia, following discussions between the two sides in the presence of delegations from both countries to discuss a number of issues of mutual interest.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly began his speech by welcoming the Prime Minister of Croatia, along with the accompanying delegation of ministers, businessmen, and representatives of Croatian companies, to their second home, Egypt. He stated that the Croatian Prime Minister’s visit marks a new phase in the relations between the two countries, as it includes the signing of several memoranda of understanding to enhance cooperation.
He also expressed confidence that this visit, with its various activities, would contribute to strengthening economic ties and open new opportunities for increased investments and trade between the two nations.
Speaking about trade exchange, Dr. Madbouly expressed his satisfaction with the significant progress in Egypt’s relations with Croatia across various fields. He highlighted the frequency of mutual visits and meetings as a testament to this development, mentioning his meeting with Prime Minister Plenković on the sidelines of the Davos Forum in January this year.
He also referred to the visit of Croatian President Zoran Milanović to Egypt in February 2023, during which agreements were reached on several vital issues. Additionally, he noted Plenković’s participation in the COP27 climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh in November 2022, describing it as an important event. He emphasized that trade cooperation between Egypt and Croatia is growing, and the joint economic forum with business representatives will further support private sector collaboration.
Regarding the energy sector, Prime Minister Madbouly highlighted the continuous cooperation between Egyptian and Croatian companies. He mentioned that Egypt’s Petrojet is already constructing offshore platforms in the Adriatic Sea in collaboration with Croatian and Greek companies. On the other hand, the Croatian company INA is participating in oil and gas field concessions in Egypt, reflecting strong ties in this vital sector.
In the construction sector, Madbouly pointed out ongoing cooperation between companies from both countries. He seized the opportunity to showcase to his Croatian counterpart the extensive expertise gained by Egyptian construction companies through implementing large-scale projects over the past decade. He noted that these companies have expanded beyond Egypt, becoming ambassadors for Egyptian expertise in various friendly countries.
He discussed potential opportunities for Egyptian firms to participate in construction projects in Croatia alongside Croatian companies, as well as the employment of Egyptian workers. He welcomed Croatia’s openness to skilled Egyptian labor, mentioning that about 6,000 Egyptian workers are currently in Croatia. The discussions also covered facilitating the entry of officially trained Egyptian workers into the Croatian labor market, either seasonally or permanently.
Turning to tourism, the Prime Minister affirmed that today’s discussions addressed this sector, with an agreement to support the establishment of direct flights between Egyptian and Croatian cities in the near future.
Madbouly also mentioned that the talks included discussions on mutual support for candidates in international organizations. He expressed gratitude for Croatia’s backing of Egyptian candidates, particularly Egypt’s nominee for the UNESCO executive director position in this year’s elections.
Regarding regional developments, the Prime Minister stated that his bilateral and expanded discussions with Plenković touched on ongoing events, especially the situation in Gaza and other Middle Eastern countries. He emphasized that Egypt and Croatia share common views on these matters, particularly concerning a permanent and just solution to the Palestinian issue, and they explored ways to support this approach.
Before concluding, Dr. Madbouly extended his condolences over the passing of Ambassador Ayman Tharwat, Egypt’s ambassador to Croatia, just days before the visit. He acknowledged the ambassador’s significant role in organizing the visit and strengthening Egyptian-Croatian relations over the past three years. He expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Plenković’s personal support during the ambassador’s illness and for providing medical assistance.
Madbouly concluded by reaffirming Egypt’s warm welcome to the Croatian Prime Minister, describing Croatia as a strategic ally of Egypt within the European Union. He thanked Croatia for its support in cooperation between Egypt and the EU, emphasizing that Croatia consistently advocates for Egypt’s interests in EU discussions. He expressed his appreciation for Croatia’s stance and reiterated his enthusiasm for further economic cooperation between the two countries.
