(L-R) Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade, Minister for Development Cooperation & Humanitarian Affairs; Hassan El-Khatib, Egypt's Minister of Investment & Foreign Trade;
Credit: MAE
On Tuesday 14 January 2025, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, paid a working visit to Egypt.
As reported by Luxembourg's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Minister Bettel had political consultations with Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, and a working meeting with the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Hassan El-Khatib, in Cairo. He also had meetings with the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Transport. In addition, Minister Bettel met with the heads of several institutions and major players in the Egyptian economic and financial world.
According to the ministry, the meeting with Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty was an opportunity to review bilateral relations between Luxembourg and Egypt, explore avenues for enhanced economic engagement and address current political issues. The two ministers welcomed the strengthening of bilateral relations, illustrated by the appointment of Luxembourg's first non-resident ambassador to Egypt, Christian Muller, and the organisation of the first political consultations at ministerial level. Regarding economic relations, Minister Bettel welcomed the increase in trade and stressed that the rapid establishment of a more favourable regulatory framework could further encourage trade between Egypt and Luxembourg. The meeting also provided an opportunity to address the situations in Gaza, Syria, Sudan and Yemen. Regarding the war in the Gaza Strip, Minister Bettel thanked Egypt for its efforts as a mediator as well as for its humanitarian actions. The two ministers stressed the importance of a ceasefire, the release of hostages and the need for peace talks to lead to a lasting solution to the conflict, in the context of the two-state solution.
The meeting with Minister Hassan El-Khatib was an opportunity to review economic relations between Luxembourg and Egypt. The two ministers agreed to accelerate exchanges in order to conclude an air services agreement (ASA) and a double taxation avoidance agreement (CONDI). Minister Bettel invited his Egyptian interlocutors to Luxembourg to continue exploring the potential for developing economic and trade relations, and to prepare, in cooperation with the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, a possible economic mission to Egypt for the end of the year.
