Ashraf AboArafe
On Saturday, 17 January, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates, received Elmedin Konaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for political consultations aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and exchanging views on regional and international developments.
Minister Abdelatty underscored the importance Egypt attaches to deepening ties with Bosnia and Herzegovina across all fields, particularly in light of the longstanding historical relations between the two countries. He expressed Egypt’s aspiration to convene the next round of political consultations—building on the previous round held in 2021—and emphasized the need to activate the Joint Economic Cooperation Committee.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister also highlighted the necessity of advancing economic and trade cooperation and making optimal use of the opportunities available in both countries. In this context, he stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the chambers of commerce, establishing a joint business council, and boosting trade and investment—especially in renewable energy, transport, tourism, agriculture, and education.
Abdelatty further outlined the promising opportunities within the Egyptian economy, noting the investment incentives offered to foreign investors in priority sectors. He pointed to Egypt’s strategic location as a gateway to European, African, and Asian markets, as well as its strong potential in providing well-trained and skilled labor.
The meeting addressed the growing tourism movement between the two countries. Both ministers welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in mutual tourism promotion in August 2025. Minister Abdelatty emphasized the importance of launching direct flights between Cairo and Sarajevo to give further momentum to bilateral tourism.
The two ministers also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, foremost among them the situation in the Gaza Strip. They discussed the next steps following the transition to the second phase of the plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, stressing the need to move forward with its requirements. These include the commencement of work by the Palestinian technocratic committee after its formation is announced, the deployment of an international stabilization force to monitor the ceasefire, ensuring Israeli withdrawal from the Strip, and paving the way for early recovery and reconstruction.
Developments in Sudan were also discussed. Minister Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s principled position in support of Sudan’s unity, stability, and national institutions, emphasizing the importance of coordinated efforts to reach a humanitarian truce and a ceasefire that would open the door to an inclusive political process. He stressed the need to increase humanitarian assistance and reiterated Egypt’s continued provision of humanitarian and relief support to the Sudanese people. In this regard, he reviewed the outcomes of the fifth meeting of the consultative mechanism to enhance and coordinate peace efforts in Sudan, hosted by Cairo.
Regarding the Horn of Africa, Abdelatty affirmed that Israel’s recognition of the so-called “Somaliland” violates international law, infringes upon the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia, and undermines the foundations of stability in the region.
For his part, Minister Konaković expressed appreciation for Egypt’s active role in promoting peace and security in the Middle East. He conveyed his eagerness to work toward further strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in the economic, trade, and investment spheres.
At the conclusion of the consultations, the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding between the Diplomatic Studies Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as a cooperation protocol between the two ministries to enhance collaboration across various fields.
