India and Egypt Discuss Opening New Markets for Egyptian Handicrafts in India
Dr. Maya Morsi, Egypt's Minister of Social Solidarity, received Suresh K. Reddy, India's Ambassador to Egypt, at the Ministry's headquarters in the New Administrative Capital. The Minister praised the relations between Cairo and New Delhi, given the strategic partnership between the two friendly countries.
The meeting addressed enhancing joint cooperation and consolidating bilateral relations on several areas of mutual interest, particularly in the areas of economic empowerment and productive families. This sector is a priority for the Ministry due to its vital role in supporting economic empowerment and preserving authentic cultural and craft heritage.
The Minister of Social Solidarity confirmed that the Ministry organizes "Diarna" exhibitions to promote handicrafts and traditional crafts. This year, more than 36 exhibitions have been organized and held. Work is currently underway to establish a permanent "Diarna" exhibition in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, to serve as an integrated center housing the most prominent Egyptian handicraft products with an authentic character.
She pointed to the possibility of cooperation with the Indian side in this regard, exchanging expertise, and cooperating to open new markets for Egyptian handicrafts and handicrafts within the Indian market.
Dr. Maya Morsi reviewed the Ministry's efforts in social protection programs and the importance the state attaches to this issue, given its significant significance. The "Takaful and Karama" program is one of the largest conditional cash transfer programs in the Arab region. This year marks the 10th anniversary of its launch. Since its launch, more than 7.7 million families have benefited from the program, with 3 million families having graduated to improve their economic conditions. The program currently benefits 4.7 million families. The Ministry, in cooperation and partnership with several ministries, agencies, and institutions, is currently implementing a strategic financial system for economic empowerment. This comes within the framework of the Egyptian state's drive to transition from the traditional social protection system to more sustainable and comprehensive models.
For his part, the Indian Ambassador praised Egyptian-Indian relations, expressing his aspiration to strengthen the bilateral partnership and open new horizons of cooperation in areas of mutual interest, particularly with regard to economic empowerment through the exploitation of available environmental resources and traditional crafts, as well as cooperation in a number of economic empowerment programs.
