(MENAFN- Daily News Egypt) Egypt's Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Hassan El-Khatib, met with South Africa's Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, to discuss strengthening economic relations between the two countries, with a focus on potential industrial cooperation in the automotive sector.

The meeting, held in Pretoria, was a follow-up to the South African minister's visit to Cairo earlier this month from 8-10 November.

El-Khatib said the discussions included a proposal for industrial cooperation in the automotive field between Egypt and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). He stressed the importance of the Egyptian side studying the South African proposal and developing a roadmap for future steps, taking into account the considerations of Egyptian manufacturers.

The two ministers also discussed the possibility of establishing reciprocal logistics zones between Egypt and South Africa. Officials from both countries will be tasked with identifying the proposed economic zones and ports for these areas.

Additionally, the ministers addressed the topic of establishing regular shipping lines between the two nations, agreeing to continue discussions on the matter once the locations for the logistics zones have been determined.

Regarding the identification of strategic goods to target for increased bilateral trade, it was agreed that specialists from both countries would compile a list of these commodities.

The two sides also discussed the formation of a joint Egyptian-South African business council. Preliminary lists of members were exchanged, and it was agreed that the council would be formally announced during the next meeting of the Egyptian-South African Joint Committee.

The fifth session of the Joint Committee is scheduled to be held during the first quarter of 2026, the ministers agreed.

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