CAIRO: The Egypt-Pakistan Forum which kicked off in Cairo to mark 70 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, concluded on September 25.
The two-day summit was organized under the auspices of Egypt's Ministry of Trade and Industry and Embassy of Pakistan in Cairo, in cooperation with the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) in Islamabad.
While the purpose of the summit was to introduce the Egyptian business community with the investment opportunities from Pakistan, the key topics of discussion largely remained security, commerce and trade ties between the two countries.
The attendees discussed the experience of both Pakistan and Egypt in eliminating terrorism and achieving stability. Both the countries were confronted with terrorism at the same time and achieved economic revival.
The security meeting was attended by Maj. Gen. Muhammad Samrez Salik, Director General of SASSI, Mohammed Al-Kashki, Egypt's Assistant Secretary of Defense for Foreign Relations, Maj. Gen. Jaffar Saeed and Air Vice Marshal Asad Ikram of Pakistan, Irina Basik, Middle East Researcher, Lt. Gen. Asif Yasin Malik, Advisor at the SASSI, Khalid Abdulrahman of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Egyptian researcher Hassan Abdul Majid.
Pakistan's economy also came in focus on the second day of the conference, under the title "Industrial Revolution." The speakers included officers and representatives from not only Pakistan and Egypt but also China. Air vice Marshall Asad Ikram pointed at the positive response the markets were showing to the new opportunities. He further voiced his willingness to collaborate with Egypt. China's Dr. Wang Jinzhao talked about the industrial up gradation for china, Pakistan and Egypt in response to globalization. Dr Alaa Essa, the representative of the Egyptian federation of chamber of commerce and industry, highlighted Egypt’s strategic importance and what Egypt has to offer. He discussed the the potential for the land market, Egypt’s geostrategic location at the cross roads of trade and the potential to expand into the African continent.
The 3rd session titled "defense production and security: The challenge of smart defense and hybrid warfare" was moderated by Lt. Gen. Asif Yaasin Malik and the speakers included the Pakistani and Egyptian top military brass.
Pakistan's Balochistan Provincial Minister for Information, Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, stressed the importance of economic transformation in the new society and presented his country's experience in opening the field of information investment, which has become a great force in modern times.
Dr. Alaa Ezz, an economist from Egypt, Ali Issa, a member of the Egyptian Businessmen Association and Pakistani economist Osman Saifullah Khan also spoke at this session.
Chinese expert Jinzhao also spoke about the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, which he said would bring an industrial revolution in Pakistan turning the country into a trade center in Central Asia. He hoped to replicate such projects between Pakistan and Egypt, as well as China and Egypt.
Among the meetings held on the second day of the forum was a session on the role of women as a key to progress and development. Moderated by Dr. Shabana Fiaz, Director of the Economics Unit at SASSI, the speakers included women representatives from Egypt and Pakistan including representative from Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce, and Yemna El-Sheridi, President of the Association of Businesswomen in Egypt.
The two-day conference was organized in Cairo by the President of SASSI Dr. Maria Sultan. Participation from the Egyptian side included Minister of Planning Dr.Hala Al-Saeed, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Petroleum and Information Technology, the Central Bank of Egypt, the Financial Supervision Authority and the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
Participators from the Pakistani side included Minister of Planning, Development and Reforms, Khusro Bakhtiar, Minister of Information Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, along with a number of businessmen and representatives of investment companies in energy, oil and gas, and international cooperation.