The Slovenian President in Cairo.. A Historic Visit to Strengthen the Strategic Partnership
Amr Yehia
In a historic official visit, the first of its kind for a Slovenian president to Cairo, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received at Al-Ittihadiya Palace President Nataša Pirc Musar, President of the Republic of Slovenia, who arrived in Cairo yesterday.
The visit of President Musar is considered the culmination of a path of accelerated rapprochement, and a transfer of relations from the framework of traditional friendship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, economic and political, linking Egypt's pivotal location and Slovenia's gateway to Europe.
The visit comes at a highly sensitive time for the Middle East region, where challenges of energy security and maritime corridors in the Red Sea and coordination within international forums place themselves at the top of the agenda of talks.
Egyptian-Slovenian relations were officially established in 1992 after Slovenia's independence, and are described as strong and stable relations, and Slovenia considers Egypt its first strategic partner in Africa and a fundamental pillar for regional stability. The Slovenian Ambassador in Cairo, Sašo Podlesnik, confirmed in previous statements that Egypt is the "excellent partner" for his country on the continent.
Last year witnessed unprecedented political momentum, represented in the visit of the President of the Slovenian Parliament, Urška Klakočar Zupančič, to Cairo last April, and the holding of a round of political consultations between the two countries at the level of senior officials. The relationship also benefited from Slovenia's non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council during 2024-2025, where Cairo and Ljubljana closely coordinated their positions on the war in Gaza and the situations in Sudan and Libya.
The Palestinian cause represents a fundamental point of convergence between the two countries, as Slovenia took a historically advanced position within the European Union with its official recognition of the State of Palestine in June 2024, and strongly supported efforts to cease fire in Gaza, which is completely consistent with the steadfast Egyptian position calling for ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Regarding regional challenges, Slovenia affirms its full support for the Egyptian role as a main and responsible mediator in the region, whether in mediation efforts to stop the war in Gaza and bring in aid, or in maintaining the security of navigation in the Red Sea, or in the file of combating illegal migration to Europe, where Ljubljana praises Egyptian efforts in controlling borders and preventing migration flows from its coasts since 2016.
Slovenia also supports within the European Union the European funding package for Egypt amounting to 7.4 billion euros, based on the conviction that Egypt's stability is the stability of Europe as a whole.
Economic cooperation is considered the most dynamic driver of the relationship currently, and according to the latest statistics, Egyptian exports to Slovenia rose to $287.5 million during the first 7 months of 2026, an increase of 12.9% compared to the same period in 2025, and the total volume of trade exchange reached $365.8 million, an increase of 12.4%.
The most important Egyptian exports are fuel and mineral oils worth $132.4 million, fruits and vegetables, optical devices, and plastic. While Egypt imports from Slovenia mainly medicines worth $34.5 million, and machinery and industrial equipment.
Slovenian direct investments in Egypt jumped by 121.7% during the last fiscal year, and are concentrated in the sectors of pharmaceuticals, logistics services and light industries. Egypt seeks to benefit from the Slovenian port of Koper, one of the most important ports of the Adriatic Sea, as a main entry point for its exports to the markets of Central and Eastern Europe, within the initiative of economic corridors between Egypt and the European Union.
Tourism and cultural cooperation are considered among the bridges of cooperation between the two countries, where tourism cooperation is witnessing remarkable growth, and Egypt is a favorite destination for the Slovenian tourist, especially for Red Sea resorts and cultural tourism in Luxor and Aswan, and the current visit discusses increasing the number of direct flights and facilitating visa procedures.
Culturally, there is an agreement for cultural and educational cooperation between the two countries, including exchange of scholarships and participation in international book fairs. Slovenia also participated as a guest of honor in a number of cultural events in Cairo, while Ljubljana hosts Egyptian cultural weeks to introduce the Pharaonic civilization, and work is underway on a new memorandum of understanding for cooperation between Cairo and Ljubljana universities in the fields of artificial intelligence and clean energy.
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