Ashraf AboArafe
*Ismailia – May 5, 2025*
Lieutenant General Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), received today Ambassador Holger Martinsen, Argentina’s Ambassador to Cairo, at the SCA headquarters in Ismailia to explore prospects for bilateral cooperation.
At the beginning of the meeting, Admiral Rabie welcomed the Argentine Ambassador and expressed appreciation for the strong bilateral relations between Egypt and Argentina. He highlighted the Authority’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with international stakeholders, particularly in the fields of logistics and maritime services.
Rabie emphasized the SCA’s openness to global collaboration and its efforts to expand its operational base with success partners, even amid ongoing challenges affecting Red Sea navigation. He also pointed to the advanced capabilities of the SCA’s affiliated companies and shipyards in vessel construction and maintenance, in addition to extensive expertise in dredging and waterway engineering.
Ambassador Martinsen, in turn, expressed gratitude for the growing ties between Argentina and Egypt on both diplomatic and popular levels. He underscored the strategic importance of the Suez Canal to international maritime traffic, describing it as an indispensable route for global trade. He noted that rerouting vessels via the Cape of Good Hope places additional pressure on supply chains due to prolonged shipping times.
The Ambassador expressed Argentina’s interest in maximizing cooperation with the Suez Canal Authority, particularly in the fields of dredging and maritime industries, where the Authority has vast experience. He also proposed exploring Argentine technological solutions that offer early-response systems for maritime emergencies to enhance navigational safety.
The visit concluded with a tour of the New Suez Canal, followed by a visit to the Suez Canal Museum.
**SCA Official Spokesman: George Safwata.
