Egypt, Belarus sign trade, economic cooperation protocol

Egypt and Belarus signed Tuesday a cooperation protocol for enhancing trade and economic relations.

The protocol was inked at the end of a three-day meeting of the joint trade committee in Cairo under the chairmanship of Egyptian Trade Minister Tarek Kabil and his Belarussian counterpart Vladimir Koltovich.

Kabil said the protocol will mark a starting point in enhancing joint economic relations.

He said Egypt is keen on expanding economic cooperation with the Eurasian Economic Union member states, including Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. 

The regular convocation of the committee reflects the two countries' keenness on elevating the trade and economic cooperation.

Kabil said the joint committee meeting crowns strenuous efforts exerted over the past two years.

The protocol aims at enhancing cooperation to expedite launching talks on establishing an Egyptian-Eurasian free trade zone, he said.

The protocol will encourage Egyptian and Belarussian companies to pump more investments to create jobs, he said.

The two countries will also cooperate in the fields of agriculture, tourism and construction, he noted.