Boosting co-operation in agriculture, food security, livestock, fisheries and agricultural processing was at the centre of talks held in Cairo on Monday between Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Alaa Farouk, and Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, Sidi Tiémoko Touré.
Farouk said the talks reflected President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s directives to support African countries and deepen regional integration. He reaffirmed Egypt’s readiness to share its agricultural expertise, research and technology with Côte d’Ivoire.
The two sides discussed expanding co-operation in agricultural processing, increasing exports and improving the trade balance, with a particular focus on fisheries, poultry and table eggs. They also reviewed Egypt’s recent achievements in these sectors, which have enabled the country to achieve self-sufficiency and supply African markets.
Both ministers stressed the importance of boosting private sector investment by facilitating meetings between business leaders and investors from both countries through the Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire in Cairo.
They also agreed to organise exchange visits for experts and officials to production facilities and research centres.
The two countries agreed to establish a joint working group to oversee the implementation of the agreed initiatives and explore organising an agricultural investment forum bringing together investors and business representatives from both sides.
Touré praised Egypt’s achievements in agriculture and livestock production and expressed his country’s interest in translating the agreements into practical action plans. He also invited Farouk to visit Abidjan next November with a delegation of Egyptian business leaders to participate in Côte d’Ivoire’s Livestock and Fisheries Exhibition.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding between Egypt’s Lakes and Fisheries Protection and Development Authority and Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries to strengthen co-operation in fisheries, aquaculture and marine environmental protection.
The agreement provides for the exchange of Egyptian expertise in freshwater, marine and floating cage fish farming, combating illegal fishing, sharing research and data, and organising training workshops to develop Ivorian expertise in aquaculture, fisheries, fish processing and marketing.
