A strong business delegation will accompany Foreign Minister Dr Michael Frendo to Cairo this week for two events to forge closer ties with the business community of Egypt and with the Maltese honorary consuls in the Middle East region.
The delegation will consist of Louis Apap Bologna, president of the Chamber of Commerce; Justin Zammit Tabona, president, Malta Hotels and Restaurant Association; Mark Guillaumier, chief executive, Malta Stock Exchange; Dennis Vella, head, Trade Promotion Unit, Malta Enterprise; John Pace, manager, Bank of Valletta Representative Offices, and Saviour Grima, senior officer, Customs Authority.
Maltese company officials accompanying the minister include Joseph Attard, managing director, International Maritime Ltd; Andrea Agius, director, Chef Choice; Trafford Busuttil, director, Property Line Real Estate; Chris Degiorgio and David Melillo from Foster Clark; Pier Luca Demajo, managing director, Demajo Group of Companies, and Saviour Farrugia, director, John David Ltd. The Foreign Ministry had invited local business people and companies to participate in these trade meetings in Cairo.
The first of the two events in Cairo is a Malta Day tomorrow, to be held in conjunction with the Egyptian Businessmen Association at its headquarters in Giza, Cairo. Egyptian Government officials taking part in this event include Ambassador Ashraf Rashed, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs, and Ambassador Nehad Abdel Latif, secretary-general, Co-ordination Secretariat for the Execution of the Egypt-EU Partnership Agreement. These are expected to give their views on the new business opportunities the country is offering and the reforms the country is presently undergoing.
There will be presentations by Malta Enterprise, the Chamber of Commerce, Malta Tourism Authority, the Bank of Valletta and Foster Clark.
Dr Frendo will address the participants and later give a press conference at the EBA headquarters. There will be one-to-one business meetings between Maltese and Egyptian businessmen.
The second event, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel, is a meeting of Malta's honorary consuls in Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Dr Frendo will preside over a trialogue between the Foreign Ministry, which is also responsible for external trade, the honorary consuls and Maltese business persons on trade opportuntities and the way in which the consuls' network can benefit the Maltese business community. This is the first time that a meeting of this kind is being organised.
Malta's Embassy in Cairo, under Ambassador Richard Vella Laurenti, is making the necessary preparations and co-ordinating the two events with Egyptian authorities.