Egypt and Belarus have signed a strategic pact to boost trade, industry, and food security.
The deal could give Belarusian manufacturers access to Middle Eastern and African markets via Egypt’s trade networks.
Both countries also plan closer cooperation in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and industrial production.

Egypt and Belarus have signed a strategic cooperation protocol aimed at boosting bilateral trade, food security, and forming fully integrated industrial cooperation. The agreement positions Egypt as a gateway for Belarusian access to Middle Eastern markets. 

This agreement could grant Belarusian manufacturers, especially of cargo vehicles and tractors, access to Middle Eastern and African markets through Egypt’s extensive network of free trade agreements (FTAs).

The deal was announced during the eighth session of the Egyptian-Belarusian Joint Trade Committee, held last week in Minsk, Russia. Although bilateral trade between the two countries reached nearly $60 million in 2025, officials argued that there is significant untapped potential.

Egypt, with its coastal position in the north of Africa and its close ties to nations across West Asia, enjoys trading through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); the Agadir FTA involving  Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Jordan; the Greater Arab FTA, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa; the pan-Arab FTA; and the Türkiye-Egypt FTA.

Key initiatives of the agreement include localising the production of heavy machinery and tractors in Egypt, with ongoing efforts to build a joint industrial complex. The countries will also collaborate on grain production and storage, meat processing, and dairy production. 

The two countries will also explore opportunities for partnering in customs digitalisation, research on energy and agriculture, and pharmaceutical manufacturing, particularly on veterinary and human medicines destined for African markets.

Both also committed to establishing a digital platform that connects their private sector companies. 

During the session, Mohamed Farid Saleh, Egyptian Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, emphasised Egypt’s institutional reforms that have eased investment processes in recent years, making the North African market more accessible for foreign investors.In 2023, Belarusian merchandise exports to developing economies in the Middle East and North Africa accounted for just 0.96% of its total merchandise exports.