Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hendy held talks with his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai on strengthening co-operation in artificial intelligence (AI) and supporting digital innovation.
The meeting took place at the conclusion of Hendy’s participation in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference (PP-26), hosted by the Qatari capital, Doha. It was attended by Egyptian Ambassador to Qatar Walid El-Feki.
The discussions covered opportunities for co-operation in digital infrastructure, digital transformation, capacity-building, research and development, AI, innovation, entrepreneurship and postal services.
The two ministers also reviewed the outcome of co-ordination between their respective ministry teams in recent months, which had resulted in the preparation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on co-operation in these fields, ahead of its signing.
They discussed the importance of co-ordinating Arab positions at international forums on AI governance, strengthening co-operation in innovation and technology-based entrepreneurship, exchanging expertise in research and development and AI applications, and providing young people in both countries with opportunities to benefit from initiatives in these fields.
Hendy also met South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon to review bilateral co-operation under the MoU signed between the two ministries and discuss the steps required to activate and follow up on its implementation.
The meeting explored opportunities to benefit from South Korea’s experience in AI applications, research and development, digital skills development for young people, institutional capacity-building, quantum computing and the development of industries based on AI technologies.
In a separate meeting, Hendy discussed avenues for joint co-operation with Mohamed Ben Omar, Secretary-General of the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organisation (AICTO).
The talks focused on the organisation’s role in promoting Arab co-operation in communications and information technology, particularly in digital trust and electronic signatures.
Meanwhile, Hendy delivered a speech at an event hosted by Egypt on the sidelines of the conference, attended by government representatives and official delegations from participating countries, as well as ITU officials and representatives of international and regional organisations.
On the sidelines of the event, he met ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin and several heads of participating delegations as part of Egypt’s campaign for re-election to the ITU Council.
He stressed that Egypt’s participation in the union went beyond membership to encompass joint action, trust-building and consensus around shared objectives among member states.
