Title: Minister: Egypt Aims to Deepen Cooperation with BRICS Countries

Egyptian Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala Al-Said stated on Thursday that "Egypt looks forward to deepening cooperation with the BRICS countries after its recent accession to the bloc earlier this year," noting that intra-trade volumes are already showing improvement. The minister made this statement following a meeting with Dilma Rousseff, President of the New Development Bank, on the sidelines of the seventeenth edition of the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong. "Egypt is also seeking to enhance cooperation with the New Development Bank affiliated with the economic bloc," she added. A statement from the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development mentioned that "Egypt's imports from BRICS countries, which include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, increased by about 33 percent compared to 2020, while Egypt's exports to BRICS countries rose by 75 percent compared to 2020."