Finance Egypt and India explore local currency trade settlement By Reuters November 15, 2023 Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh Egypt wants to deepen cooperation with Asian partners to attract more investors, said finance minister Mohamed Al Al Maait Egypt discussed with India’s ambassador to Egypt the possibility of entering Indian financial markets, Egypt’s finance ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. “The two sides discussed ways to encourage the use of national currencies to settle payments,” in a meeting between Egyptian finance minister Mohamed Al Maait and ambassador Ajit Gupte, the statement said. Egypt was keen to diversify funding sources and enter new financial markets, including “the possibility of heading to Indian financial markets”, the statement quoted Al Maait as saying. Egypt needs more dollars before devaluation, warn experts Egypt issues $500m of green panda bonds in China Egypt and India bilateral trade up 14% to $6bn in 2022 In June, sources told Reuters that India was weighing a proposal to begin barter trade with Egypt in goods like fertiliser and gas, as part of a wider deal that could see New Delhi extending a credit line worth several billion dollars to Cairo. Egypt, facing a severe foreign currency shortage, has been struggling to attract foreign investment. Last month it issued 3-year panda bonds worth 3.5 billion yuan, and the China Development Bank disbursed 7 billion yuan ($956.61 million) in a loan agreement with Egypt’s central bank. This month Cairo also sold almost $500 million (75 billion yen) in 5-year Japanese Samurai bonds.
