Egypt’s foreign minister chaired an interministerial meeting aimed at improving services and administrative procedures for citizens living abroad.
Foreign minister Badr Abdelatty presided over a coordination meeting on Wednesday bringing together several government ministries to address the concerns of Egyptian citizens residing abroad, according to information provided by the authorities.
The talks centered on a range of measures designed to streamline administrative procedures and strengthen ties between the state and the diaspora.
The meeting was attended by several cabinet members, including education minister Mohamed Abdel Latif, communications and information technology minister Raafat Hindi and higher education and scientific research minister, Abdel Aziz Konsowa.
Representatives from the ministries of defense, interior, finance, housing and electricity, as well as the Central Bank of Egypt, also took part.
Participants reviewed a number of issues related to services for Egyptians living abroad.
Topics on the agenda included customs procedures for the importation of mobile phones and vehicles, as well as the logistical frameworks governing the return or investment of Egyptians based overseas.
Discussions also covered education-related matters, notably the recognition and equivalence of foreign-obtained degrees and the conditions governing admission to Egyptian universities for students coming from international school systems.
Authorities further discussed the acceleration of the digitalisation of consular services, with the aim of simplifying the issuance of administrative documents and updating records for Egyptian nationals living outside the country.
The meeting also addressed legal and administrative support issues, including assistance to citizens abroad for certain administrative processes, as well as matters related to military service obligations, the secondment of workers and the diaspora housing program known as “Beit Al-Watan.”
Participants agreed to establish a mechanism for regular consultations among the relevant institutions to monitor the implementation of the proposed measures and continuously improve services provided to expatriates.
MK/AK/lb/as/APA