Egypt's Abdelatty and Benin’s Foreign Minister Bolster Bilateral Relations and Tackle African Security Challenges

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with his Beninese counterpart Olushegun Adjadi Bakari in Cairo for official political consultations to strengthen ties between Egypt and Benin and address key challenges affecting Africa.

According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the consultation resulted from a political consultation mechanism established between the two countries in February 2000. Abdelatty welcomed the Beninese Foreign Minister and expressed both countries' eagerness to deepen cooperation, particularly in economic and developmental fields.

The two ministers discussed ways to enhance economic and trade relations. Abdelatty highlighted the importance of increasing collaboration in various sectors including construction, infrastructure, tourism, culture, electricity, renewable energy, sanitation, pharmaceuticals, cotton and textiles, and agro-industrial and food processing. He encouraged Egyptian private sector companies to explore opportunities in Benin, pointing to Egypt’s established expertise in infrastructure, energy, and construction projects in Africa.

They also addressed educational and technical cooperation. Abdelatty acknowledged Benin’s active participation in training programs offered by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EAPD). To date, Benin has benefited from 208 training courses with 366 trainees. Counter-terrorism was another focal point, incorporating partnerships with Al-Azhar Al-Sharif to train preachers and imams, as well as specialized training from the EAPD to combat extremist ideology and support national security.

Security in the Sahel and West African region featured prominently. Abdelatty stressed Egypt’s support for Benin’s fight against terrorism, noting that instability in the Sahel impacts adjacent nations, including Sudan, Libya, and Gulf of Guinea states.

The discussions covered pressing geopolitical developments. Abdelatty briefed Bakari on Egypt’s role mediating to end hostilities in Gaza, detailed Egypt’s perspective on the Sudan crisis, and provided updates on situations in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea region. He reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to help stabilize the Horn of Africa.

Concrete outcomes of the meeting included signing two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs): one for diplomatic training of Beninese diplomats at Egypt’s Institute for Diplomatic Studies, and another providing for mutual visa exemption for holders of official passports—both measures to facilitate deeper bilateral cooperation.

This high-level dialogue reflects a strengthened partnership between Egypt and Benin, setting a foundation for future multi-sectoral collaboration and demonstrating Egypt’s ongoing commitment to African unity and stability.

Source: Daily News Egypt