Present at the seminar were Egyptian assistant to Minister of International Co-operation, Nabil Abdel Hamid Hassan, Vietnamese deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Diep Kinh Tan, Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt, Pham Sy Tam, President of ECCI, Alla Ezz and nearly 100 businesses from both countries.

This is a good chance for businesses from the two countries to exchange information about products and prices and to seek partners. Egyptian businesses are keen on Vietnamese seafood and agricultural products, such as tra and basa fish, shrimp, tea, coffee, and coconut rice. Some Egyptian businesses need economic information before paying a fact-finding visit to Vietnam.

At the seminar, Mr Tan said that Vietnamese seafood products are available in 150 countries and territories. However, exports of agro-forestry and fisheries products to northern Africa, especially to Egypt are limited and far from meeting consumer demand. Mr Hassan noted that the two countries have signed a number of co-operative agreements and memoranda of understanding on fisheries, tourism, trade, oil and gas. In 2008, two-way trade value reached nearly 100 million, including US$96 million from Vietnamese exports. However, Vietnam has just invested US$1 million in Egypt.

Earlier, at the first working session between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Egyptian General Department of Fisheries, deputy Minister Tan said that Vietnam’s seafood production and procession meets international standards and its tra and basa fish have been exported to many big international markets, such as the US, the EU and Japan. He invited his Egyptian counterpart to visit Vietnam to explore the potential of the fisheries sector.