Adm. Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority, discussed developments in cooperation in the fields of training and marketing with Ambassador Fumio Iwai, Japanese Ambassador to Cairo. The meeting was held at the SCA's headquarters, Al-Irshad building, in Ismailia.
The meeting was attended by Eng. Ahmed El-Barbary, SCA's Director of the Shipyards Dept., as well as a high-profile delegation from the Embassy of Japan in Cairo and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Egypt Office including Mr. Niimi Hiromasa, First Secretary at the Embassy of Japan in Egypt, Mr. Ebisawa Yo, Chief Representative of JICA Egypt Office, Mr. Satoru Tanaka, Representative at JICA Egypt Office, Ms. Minass Ahmed, First Economic Analyst at the Embassy of Japan in Egypt and Ms. Heba El-Hosseiny, Program Officer at JICA Egypt Office.
At the outset of the visit, Adm. Rabiee welcomed the Japanese delegation to the Suez Canal Authority, and expressed his appreciation for the long-standing partnership and friendship between Egypt and Japan; both officially and popularly, stressing the important role played by the Suez Canal as a main link in bolstering strategic and economic relations between both countries.
Adm. Rabiee praised the fruitful and constructive cooperation between the Suez Canal Authority and various Japanese institutions, pointing out in this regard to the strong relations and ongoing communication with the Japanese Shipowners Association to exchange views and achieve common interests. H. E. also commended the constructive role of JICA as one of the key partners in the fields of training and marketing.
H.E. also emphasized that the Suez Canal has not ceased providing its navigational services despite the unprecedented challenges posed by the current regional situation in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait. On the contrary, the SCA has remained committed to providing a diverse range of navigational services under normal circumstances and in emergencies.
On his part, Ambassador Fumio Iwai, Japanese Ambassador to Cairo, expressed his gratitude for the dedicated efforts and endeavors exerted by the SCA to support global trade flows between the East and the West despite the current challenges. He also expressed his hope for the restoration of stability in the region soon, given its direct impact on the sustainability of global supply chains.
H.E. also underscored the strategic significance of the Suez Canal within the maritime community and voiced his pride in the fruitful and growing cooperation between the SCA and the Japanese institutions.
Ambassador Iwai further noted that joint cooperation with JICA has culminated in an agreement entailing the Japanese government's provision of a grant to add a Diving Support Vessel (DSV) to the SCA's fleet of salvage vessels. He added that the final grant agreement is scheduled to be signed at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development next August, to be followed by the signing of a technical agreement with the Suez Canal Authority.