H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, met with Ambassador Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt, the new Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Arab Republic of Egypt, to discuss areas of joint cooperation between Egypt and Sweden and to enhance economic relations between the two countries.

At the beginning of the meeting, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat congratulated Ambassador Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt, on his appointment as the Swedish Ambassador to Egypt in February 2025, and expressed keenness to strengthen bilateral cooperation and build on the strong foundations that link the two countries to achieve further progress and mutual prosperity.

The Minister emphasized that Egypt and Sweden enjoy historical and solid bilateral relations that span decades, covering various fields such as trade, cultural exchange, and educational cooperation. These ties have contributed to enhancing mutual understanding and strengthening relations between the two peoples. In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in Swedish companies’ interest in investing in the Egyptian market, reflecting the attractiveness of Egypt's business environment and the importance of the Egyptian market for Swedish companies.

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat also noted that Sweden’s major companies have increasingly been present in Egypt, including prominent names such as Ericsson, IKEA, Volvo, and others. This presence reflects these companies' commitment to investing in the Egyptian market and contributing to the elevation of economic relations between the two countries.

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat mentioned that, in light of Sweden's interest in providing support to boost trade, investments, and business exchanges between the two countries, there is an opportunity to benefit from the Investment Guarantee export credit system. This is an important tool that will help support Swedish companies in their international expansion and enhance economic cooperation opportunities between the two countries.

H.E. Minister Al-Mashat emphasized the importance of promoting foreign direct investment from Swedish companies in Egypt and enhancing joint support under the "NWFE" program. She also pointed out the Egyptian government's interest in adjusting the European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and Egypt's efforts to engage with various development partners to provide the necessary technical support to enhance the competitiveness of Egyptian exports.

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat highlighted the Ministerial Committee for Entrepreneurship, chaired by the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, and the cooperation mechanisms with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) to develop startups.

During the meeting, the current portfolio of work between Egypt and Sweden was reviewed, which includes multiple projects in priority areas such as improving the stability and efficiency of the electricity grid, in cooperation with the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy, aimed at enhancing the stability and efficiency of the electricity grid in Egypt. Additionally, the Urban Transport Project and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system project were discussed.