Africa needs tech transfer, not just aid, Egyptian FM says

Egypt-Korea partnership for sustainable development needs technology transfer and joint defense production

African countries need technology transfer, investment and industrial cooperation from South Korea rather than aid-based ties, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Tuesday, calling for “a real partnership based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation” and concrete outcomes for the 2029 Korea-Africa Summit.

Technology transfer was a central theme of the discussions, with Abdelatty arguing that Africa’s economic transformation and job creation efforts depend on industrial know-how and localization.

“There are no jobs without technology transfer and localization,” he said.

“Africa is not just a market. It is also a destination for investment,” he said, identifying manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, automotive production, artificial intelligence, digitalization, vocational training and higher education as priority areas for cooperation.

“We need deliverables,” he said. “More investment, more trade, more technology cooperation and more localization.”

He also called for greater Korean investment in Egypt, highlighting the country’s strategic location, extensive free trade agreements and access to Arab and African markets.

“Korean companies can access a market of billions through Egypt,” he said.

He urged Korean firms to expand investment in manufacturing, shipbuilding, logistics, AI and green transformation projects, while supporting the establishment of a Korean industrial zone in Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone.

“The Suez Canal Economic Zone offers enormous opportunities,” Abdelatty said.

Defense and regional security

Abdelatty said the K-9 self-propelled howitzer program is an example of successful cooperation, but he advocates for joint manufacturing as a priority.

“The most important issue is joint manufacturing,” he said. “Egypt has the infrastructure and capacity, and we can work together on defense production.”

Underlining regional security, Abdelatty called for safeguarding the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and said Egypt was working with regional partners to promote stability and prevent escalation.

But he expressed frustration over delays in implementing the next phase of the Gaza peace framework, arguing that lasting regional stability depends on resolving the Palestinian issue.

“There can be no sustainable peace or security without addressing the Palestinian issue,” he said, adding that Egypt would continue its efforts to advance peace negotiations in Gaza, support a US-Iran agreement and push for a humanitarian truce in Sudan.

When asked about the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s opposition to nuclear proliferation and support for dialogue and de-escalation on the Korean Peninsula.

“Military escalation will lead nowhere,” he said when asked about Egypt’s stance on North Korea’s denuclearization.

“We need more multilateralism, more dialogue and more coexistence,” he said, reiterating Egypt’s commitment to balanced diplomacy amid growing geopolitical tensions.

sanjaykumar@heraldcorp.com