Minister Tajani in Cairo. Institutional meetings, the Joint Committee and the Italy-Egypt Business Forum

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani was in Cairo yesterday on a mission aimed at strengthening the partnership between Italy and Egypt, fostering cooperation on key regional issues and developing economic and trade relations. During the visit, Tajani met President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, with whom he chaired the Joint Italian-Egyptian Commission. The Minister for the Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, and the Minister for Labour and Social Policies, Marina Calderone, also took part in the mission.

Egypt-Italy Business Forum

Joint Press Conference of Ministers Tajani and Abdelatty

The talks addressed the situation in the Middle East, starting with Gaza and Egypt's mediating role, the prospect of a two-state solution, stability in Lebanon and Libya, the situation in Sudan and the Horn of Africa, and the security of maritime routes, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. Discussions also covered cooperation in combating terrorism, human traffickers and irregular migration, alongside the promotion of legal and skilled labour mobility schemes between the two countries.

A key part of the mission was dedicated to 'Diplomacy for Growth'. Tajani took part in the Italy-Egypt Business Forum, which was attended by over one hundred Italian companies, nearly 600 participants, and feature 1,000 scheduled B2B meetings, with the aim of strengthening trade and investment between the two countries and creating new opportunities for Italian businesses. Energy and the green transition, infrastructure, advanced industrial technologies, digitalisation and agritech were among the key sectors at the heart of the discussions. In 2025, bilateral trade reached €5.9 billion, up 11.7 per cent, with a further increase of 7.5 per cent in the first five months of 2026.

Finally, the visit helped to consolidate cooperation under the Mattei Plan, for which Egypt is one of the focus countries and a priority partner. Particular attention was paid to technical and vocational training and skills development, to offer new opportunities to young Egyptians whilst helping to meet the demand for skilled workers in the Italian manufacturing sector.