Egypt and Azerbaijan have agreed to explore a new phase of economic cooperation, focusing on sustainable development, investment and knowledge exchange, following high-level talks between officials from both countries, Egypt’s planning ministry said.
Egyptian Minister of Planning and Economic Development Ahmed Rostom met Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Cairo, Elkhan Polukhov, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
The discussions come amid growing diplomatic and economic engagement between Cairo and Baku, supported by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Rostom said Egypt was keen to deepen cooperation with Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy and build on existing frameworks to develop a new phase of partnership that reflects both countries’ development priorities.
He highlighted Egypt’s experience in structural economic reforms and national development programmes, saying the country had managed to maintain macroeconomic stability while pursuing policies aimed at expanding private sector participation and attracting investment.
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Despite regional and global economic uncertainty, Egypt has continued to pursue a reform agenda centred on fiscal consolidation, digital transformation and long-term sustainable development goals.
The minister also pointed to Egypt’s use of digital monitoring tools to track progress on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), describing it as part of a broader push toward data-driven governance and improved policy implementation.
Rostom praised previous meetings of the Egyptian-Azerbaijani joint economic committee, saying they had helped open new channels of cooperation across multiple sectors including trade, infrastructure and energy.
He said the current period presented an opportunity for both countries to leverage their respective strengths in order to accelerate development and broaden economic ties.
Azerbaijan’s ambassador, Polukhov, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening relations with Egypt and said both governments were working to align their economic priorities more closely.
He pointed to recent high-level visits between the two countries’ leaders as evidence of strengthening political ties, noting that President Sisi’s visit to Baku and President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Cairo had helped advance bilateral cooperation.
Polukhov also highlighted the launch of direct flights between Cairo and Baku earlier this year, saying the new route would support trade, investment flows and business linkages between the two countries.
He said Azerbaijan was preparing to host several major international meetings, including gatherings linked to the Islamic Development Bank Group and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which would provide additional platforms for economic engagement and cooperation.
The ambassador added that Azerbaijan was interested in learning from Egypt’s experience in smart city development and green infrastructure as part of its own economic diversification strategy.
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Both sides expressed optimism that the strengthening partnership would open new opportunities for investment and technical cooperation in the coming years, reflecting what officials described as a shared commitment to sustainable development and regional economic integration.
