Minsk Oblast would like to boost the export of industrial and agricultural products to South Sinai Governorate of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Chairman of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee Semyon Shapiro and South Sinai Governor Khaled Fouda Sedike.

Welcoming the Egyptian guests, who are in Belarus for the first time, Semyon Shapiro said that close interregional cooperation of Minsk Oblast and South Sinai will help promote the interstate cooperation between Belarus and Egypt.

For his part, South Sinai Governor Khaled Fouda Sedike noted the Egyptian delegation would like to start relations with Minsk Oblast in a variety of areas and to strengthen relations in tourism.

“After the appointment of new Belarus Ambassador to Egypt Sergei Rachkov we communicate regularly, conduct regular meetings and he has told us a lot about Belarus. we learned that the country has a well-developed industry and agriculture. I think that we can find common ground and start cooperation in these and other sectors of the economy,” Governor Khaled Fouda Sedike said. According to him, South Sinai is a big governorate by area and has a great potential, which should be used in bilateral relations. Khaled Fouda Sedike invited Semyon Shapiro to visit the Egyptian region with a return visit.

Cooperation with Africa is a fundamentally new area for Minsk Oblast, Olga Gavruk, the head of the foreign economy department of the economy committee of the Minsk Oblast Executive Committee, said during the meeting. “Belarus' major export to Egypt is potash fertilizers. By signing the agreement with the South Sinai Governorate, we hope to extend the range of the Belarusian export. South Sinai is planning major mineral developments: granite, marble and other building materials. In addition, the region is planning to build irrigation facilities. We hope that Egypt will make use of BelAZ rock hauler at these sites,” Olga Gavruk said.

During the visit, the South Sinai delegation will visit one of the major agricultural enterprises of Minsk Oblast - Dzerzhinsky Agrokombinat. According to Olga Gavruk, the Egyptian guests will see that Belarus makes large amounts of food. Egypt has a population of about 90 million and imports significant amounts of food. Minsk Oblast is ready for close cooperation in this sector, Olga Gavruk noted.

Belarus also hopes to expand cooperation with Egypt in the field of tourism. Nesvizh Castle, the hunting grounds may be of interest for tourists from Arab countries.

Following the negotiations Minsk Oblast and South Sinai signed a memorandum of cooperation in trade, economy and social and cultural matters. The document was signed by Semyon Shapiro and Khaled Fouda Sedike.

>During the two-day visit the South Sinai delegation is set to visit OAO BelAZ, the hunting grounds Royal Hunt, the National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve Nesvizh, and Borisov Arena and to hold a meeting with representatives of the Sport and Tourism Ministry of Belarus.

In January-September this year the foreign trade between Minsk Oblast and Egypt amounted to $2.4 million, up by 4% over the same period last year. The main exporter in 2016 was Belarusian Potash Company which supplied fertilizers worth $772,700. Other exports were tractors and printed materials. Major imports were citrus fruit, medicines, yeast and finished baking powders.