Egyptian Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir met with Russian Presidential Aide Nikolai Patrushev, Chairman of the Russian Maritime Council, and a high-level delegation of Russian officials and industry leaders to discuss strengthening cooperation in commercial maritime transport. The meeting was attended by Presidential Advisor for National Security Fayza Aboulnaga and senior officials from the Ministry of Transport.
During the talks, El-Wazir and Patrushev signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance bilateral cooperation in maritime transport and agreed to establish a joint roadmap for localizing related industries in Egypt. Discussions included plans to create a logistics corridor comprising two container terminals—one on the Red Sea and another on the Mediterranean—supported by industrial and logistics zones, linked to Russian ports on the Black Sea and extending to the Northern Corridor.
El-Wazir highlighted Egypt’s strategic location and ongoing efforts under Egypt Vision 2030 to transform the country into a regional hub for transport, logistics, and transit trade. He pointed to major infrastructure projects, including integrated international logistics corridors and the high-speed electric rail network, as well as opportunities for Russian investment in shipbuilding and maintenance facilities.
Patrushev praised the strength of Egyptian-Russian relations and underscored the potential for Egypt to serve as a key hub for shipping and exports to Africa and the Middle East. He called for expanding maritime routes between Russia and Egypt and advancing cooperation in shipbuilding, port infrastructure, and logistics centers for oil, grain, and natural gas.
Russian companies presented proposals for joint projects, including establishing shipping lines between Egyptian and Russian ports, localizing shipbuilding industries in Egypt, constructing shipyards, and training Egyptian cadres in Russian universities. Both sides agreed to hold follow-up meetings in the coming days to finalize the roadmap for joint maritime projects and industrial cooperation.
