Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly received this morning at the government headquarters in the new administrative area in Cairo, Caretaker Minister of Agriculture Abbas al-Haj Hassan, commissioned by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, to explore ways of ensuring cooperation between Egypt and Lebanon in the agricultural sector.

Also attending the meeting was a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands Reclamation in Egypt headed by Minister Al-Sayyid al-Quseir, advisors to the Lebanese Minister of Agriculture, Salem Darwish and Hussein Nasrallah, and the Economic Attaché at the Lebanese Embassy, Nour Atwi.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Egyptian Prime Minister underlined the close historical ties between Cairo and Beirut at all levels, adding that his country is keen on further enhancing bilateral cooperation with Lebanon in various fields of common interest.

He added that his government is also keen on facilitating, through its relevant agencies, the entry of Lebanese exports into the Egyptian market, in line with the efforts of the Lebanese government to facilitate the flow of Egyptian exports to Lebanon of various commodities and support the rates of trade exchange between both states.

Madbouly stressed, "Egypt's keenness to support brotherly Lebanon, taking into account the current global economic conditions and their repercussions on all countries, especially Egypt and Lebanon."

For his part, Minister Haj Hassan emphasized “the depth of the historical relations that bind Egypt and Lebanon and the importance of continuing close coordination between the two countries on priority files in international frameworks in a way that serves their mutual interests." 

He also stressed Lebanon's deep appreciation for the Egyptian political leadership's constant keenness to stand by its side, considering that "there are many opportunities for cooperation and exchange of experiences between Cairo and Beirut in the field of agriculture, especially fish farming."

In turn, the Egyptian Minister of Agriculture pointed to “the continued cooperation and coordination of efforts between the Ministries of Agriculture in Egypt and Lebanon,” expressing his appreciation for “the Lebanese side’s efforts to remove the obstacles that stand in the way of the flow of Egyptian agricultural exports to the Lebanese market.” 

He also expressed his aspiration "to discuss all aspects of joint cooperation between Egypt and Lebanon and work to overcome any obstacles that the Lebanese side may face in Egypt."

In conclusion, the Prime Minister recommended continued coordination between the Egyptian and Lebanese Ministries of Agriculture to advance areas of cooperation in the agricultural sector, expressing his aspiration to receive proposals that would support said cooperation.