On July 2, the Transport Ministers of Egypt and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) committing themselves “to strengthen cooperation on regional and international transport corridors, aiming to integrate transport networks linking Asia, Africa, and the Arab region while enhancing trade and logistics connectivity,” Egypt’s state daily, Al Ahram reports. The signing took place on the sidelines of the 5th Turkish Maritime Summit in Istanbul.
Egyptian Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir described the agreement as “a starting point” for broader cooperation between Egypt and Turkey in developing international transport corridors, maritime transport and logistics, while calling for expanding their closer cooperation with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, as well, on maritime transport and railways “to increase trade volumes and achieve greater regional integration.”
“The two sides also discussed potential cooperation in commercial shipbuilding,” Al Ahram reported.
According to that Egyptian daily, Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu spoke similarly, saying that the MoU can serve as an “overarching framework” for connecting Turkey, Egypt and Arab countries, and describing Egypt as a key gateway into Africa for Turkish goods.
