Finland, Egypt to boost bilateral economic diplomatic ties

President Alexander Stubb on Tuesday met with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo and discussed various bilateral and international issues.

The Presidents discussed ways to strengthen economic and investment co-operation, alongside key regional developments, particularly in the Middle East, local media reported, quoting the Egyptian presidency.

“This two-day visit provides an excellent opportunity to deepen our relations at both the diplomatic and personal levels,” Stubb wrote in a post on his social media platform X after the meeting.

He also appreciated al-Sisi´s analysis of regional and geopolitical developments and thanked Egypt for the role it has taken in addressing the current conflicts in Gaza, Iran, and the wider region.

The Egyptian president stressed the importance of enhancing economic, trade, and investment cooperation, while encouraging stronger engagement between the business communities of both countries, reported egypt today, an English language newspaper published from Egypt.

Stubb also joined a Finnish-Egyptian business forum focused on geopolitical and economic prospects on the first day of his two-day visit to Egypt.

“One of the trip's goals is to increase trade between Finland and Egypt in new sectors. Egypt is Finland's largest goods export market in Africa and the Middle East. The forest industry has been trading wood in Egypt for a hundred years already,” Stubb wrote in another post in X.

On Wednesday, the President is scheduled to visit the American University in Cairo in order to deliver a lecture on global transitions and the changing balance of power.

During his visit, Stubb will also meet Pope of Alexandria Tawadros II, leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church as well as the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, and permanent representatives of the Arab League.

Later in the day, the president will visit the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), dedicated to Ancient Egypt and its treasures and artifacts.

The previous presidential visit from Finland to Egypt was made by President Tarja Halonen in 2009.