Ministry of Planning, Economic Development & International Cooperation Chairs Preparatory Meeting for the Second Session of the Egyptian–Bulgarian Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation

With the Participation of Representatives from National Ministries and Institutions…

Ministry of Planning, Economic Development & International Cooperation Chairs Preparatory Meeting for the Second Session of the Egyptian–Bulgarian Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation

As part of ongoing preparations for the second session of the Egyptian–Bulgarian Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, scheduled to convene in Cairo later this week, the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development & International Cooperation chaired an expanded preparatory meeting with representatives from relevant ministries and national bodies. The meeting comes in preparation for the ministerial session, co-chaired by H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development & International Cooperation, and Mr. Petar Dilov, Bulgaria’s Minister of Economy and Industry.

During the experts’ meetings, both sides are discussing a broad range of priority areas of cooperation, including: trade, investment, culture, communications and information technology, small and medium enterprises, transport, higher education, agriculture, tourism and antiquities, youth and sports, petroleum, civil aviation, environment, military production, and electricity and renewable energy.

Experts from both countries are also working to address any emerging challenges to strengthen bilateral cooperation, expand trade, and increase mutual investment opportunities.

The relations between Egypt and Bulgaria continue to advance, reflecting the strong commitment of both countries to broaden cooperation—especially amid growing convergence in outlooks and the rising frequency of high-level official exchanges.

The second session of the Joint Commission represents an important opportunity to deepen collaboration across priority economic and developmental sectors. The Ministry affirmed its full commitment to coordinating with all national entities to ensure the success of the Commission’s work and to achieve tangible outcomes aligned with Egypt’s Narrative for Economic Development: Reforms for Growth, Jobs & Resilience.

The preparatory meeting included representatives from several Egyptian ministries and institutions, including the Ministries of: Trade and Investment, Agriculture, Petroleum, Electricity and Renewable Energy, Tourism and Antiquities, Culture, Higher Education, Youth and Sports, Environment, Military Production, Communications and Information Technology, Transport, Civil Aviation, in addition to the General Authority for Investment, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency, and the Ministry of Transport.

The experts’ meetings will serve as a foundation for the upcoming ministerial session, during which both sides will discuss and approve the Protocol of the Second Session, alongside exploring mechanisms to expand economic cooperation and advance joint initiatives across various fields.

It is worth noting that the work of this Joint Commission is governed by the Agreement on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation signed on 18 April 2007, which replaced the earlier agreement dated 23 October 1965. The updated agreement reflects developments in the global economic landscape and Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union on 1 January 2007, as well as the entry into force of the EU–Egypt Association Agreement.

Earlier, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat received a report on the outcomes of the high-level and ministerial joint committees convened during 2025 under the Ministry’s supervision, in line with Egypt’s efforts to strengthen economic, trade and investment relations with partner and friendly nations.

Up until the end of November, eight joint committees had convened: the Egypt–Algeria High Joint Committee; Egypt–Tunisia High Joint Committee; Egypt–Jordan High Joint Committee; Egypt–Lebanon High Joint Committee; Egypt–Iraq High Joint Committee, in addition to ministerial committees between Egypt and Azerbaijan, Hungary and Switzerland.