On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson Ofir Gendelman stated on Twitter that a business delegation comprising of senior business people is to visit Egypt. Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen is leading the delegation. The delegation will be in touch with Egyptian officials to boost cooperation in several areas including agriculture, water, electricity, and tourism, the spokesperson said. According to his statement, the bilateral trade volume between the two countries is expected to rise to $1 billion by 2022.
Besides, the Israeli Intelligence Minister is expected to meet with Egyptian top security officials in Sharm el-Sheikh to promote security and economic cooperation. According to an Israeli newspaper that quotes Minister Cohen, the current visit came as a result of secret talks which have been held between the two countries’ governments for two years. The Israeli Intelligence Minister had defined the visit as historic and stated that now the business environment has taken part in these talks, the newspaper added.
In February, the Egyptian Petroleum Minister Tarek el-Molla paid a visit to Israel to discuss ways to boost bilateral cooperation. This was the first time an Egyptian minister paid a visit to Israel in the last five years.
