Korea, Egypt launch CEPA talks, upgrade ties to strategic partnership

President Lee Jae Myung and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi agreed Thursday in Seoul to launch Korea-Egypt CEPA negotiations and elevate bilateral ties to a strategic partnership. The agreements aim to expand trade and investment while deepening cooperation in defense, energy and technology. The leaders also signed or revised 12 memorandums of understanding and discussed peace and navigation security.

The leaders signed or revised 12 memorandums of understanding covering economic, industrial, energy, technological and cultural exchanges.

Korea became the first Asian country to sign a social security agreement with Egypt, which is expected to reduce duplicate pension contributions for dispatched workers.

Lee said cooperation could advance green shipbuilding, clean energy, science and technology, while Egypt pledged support for Korean companies establishing operations there.

The leaders identified joint production of K9 self-propelled howitzers as a successful defense cooperation model and discussed expanding local production and technology cooperation.

Published Oct 8, 2026 4:21 pm KST

President Lee Jae Myung and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi deliver a joint press announcement at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

The leaders of Korea and Egypt agreed Thursday to launch negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to expand trade and investment.

President Lee Jae Myung and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi also agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a strategic partnership, laying the groundwork for closer cooperation in defense, energy and technology alongside trade and investment.

The agreements were announced after a summit at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul during the Egyptian leader’s state visit.

CEPA is a type of free trade agreement that promotes broader economic cooperation beyond market liberalization, including investment and other areas of economic collaboration.

The talks follow an agreement to pursue the pact reached at the leaders’ previous summit in Egypt in November 2025.

Their reunion in Seoul comes about 11 months later, with El-Sisi making his first visit to Korea in a decade.

“I hope the CEPA talks will establish a solid institutional foundation for realizing both countries’ economic development goals,” Lee said, noting that the two countries could build on that foundation to jointly advance innovation in emerging industries such as green shipbuilding, clean energy, science and technology.

As for the upgrade to a strategic partnership, he described it as “highly meaningful and timely.”

“I believe this will be an important step toward translating our shared vision for the future into practical cooperation.”

The two leaders pledged to turn earlier commitments into tangible benefits for their citizens, signing or revising 12 memorandums of understanding covering economic, industrial, energy, technological and cultural exchanges.

Korea became the first Asian country to sign a social security agreement with Egypt, according to Lee.

The accord is expected to ease the burden of duplicate pension contributions for workers dispatched between the countries and facilitate business expansion.

Lee said Korea’s shipbuilding expertise could support the development of Egypt’s environmentally friendly shipbuilding industry.

Cooperation on power infrastructure would also help ensure a stable electricity supply and strengthen energy security, he added.

On defense, the leaders described joint production of K9 self-propelled howitzers as a successful model of cooperation.

Lee expressed hope that the partnership would expand beyond arms exports to strengthen Egypt’s military capabilities and industrial base through local production and technology cooperation.

El-Sisi pledged support for Korean companies seeking to establish operations in Egypt, saying the upgrade in ties would bring a qualitative leap in relations.

The leaders also discussed peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East, with Lee praising Egypt’s peace efforts in Gaza and both reaffirming the importance of safe and free navigation for all vessels.

韩国总统李在明和埃及总统阿卜杜勒·法塔赫·塞西周四在首尔达成一致，启动韩埃全面经济伙伴关系协定（CEPA）谈判，并将双边关系提升为战略伙伴关系。该协定旨在扩大贸易和投资，同时深化在国防、能源和技术领域的合作。两国领导人还签署或修订了12项谅解备忘录，并讨论了和平与航行安全问题。

两国领导人签署或修订了12项谅解备忘录，涵盖经济、工业、能源、技术和文化交流等领域。

韩国成为第一个与埃及签署社会保障协议的亚洲国家，预计这将减少派遣工人重复缴纳养老金的情况。

李表示，合作可以促进绿色造船、清洁能源、科学和技术的发展，而埃及则承诺支持韩国企业在埃及开展业务。

领导人们认为联合生产 K9 自行榴弹炮是一个成功的国防合作模式，并讨论了扩大本地生产和技术合作。

发布于2026年10月8日下午4:21（韩国标准时间）

韩国总统李在明和埃及总统阿卜杜勒·法塔赫·塞西周四在首尔青瓦台举行联合新闻发布会。（韩联社）

韩国和埃及领导人周四同意启动全面经济伙伴关系协定（CEPA）谈判，以扩大贸易和投资。

李在明总统和埃及总统阿卜杜勒·法塔赫·塞西还同意将双边关系提升为战略伙伴关系，为在国防、能源、技术以及贸易和投资领域更紧密的合作奠定基础。

这些协议是在埃及领导人对首尔进行国事访问期间，于青瓦台举行的峰会后宣布的。

CEPA 是一种自由贸易协定，它促进了市场自由化之外更广泛的经济合作，包括投资和其他经济合作领域。

此次会谈是在双方同意继续推进2025年11月在埃及举行的领导人峰会上达成的协议之后进行的。

大约 11 个月后，他们在首尔重聚，这是塞西十年来首次访问韩国。

李表示：“我希望《全面经济伙伴关系协定》谈判能够为实现两国经济发展目标奠定坚实的制度基础。”他指出，两国可以以此为基础，共同推进绿色造船、清洁能源、科学技术等新兴产业的创新。

至于升级为战略合作伙伴关系，他将其描述为“意义重大且非常及时”。

“我相信这将是朝着将我们对未来的共同愿景转化为实际合作迈出的重要一步。”

两国领导人承诺将先前的承诺转化为对本国公民的切实利益，签署或修订了 12 项谅解备忘录，涵盖经济、工业、能源、技术和文化交流等领域。

据李先生称，韩国成为第一个与埃及签署社会保障协议的亚洲国家。

该协议有望减轻两国之间派遣工人重复缴纳养老金的负担，并促进企业扩张。

李表示，韩国的造船技术可以为埃及环保型造船业的发展提供支持。

他还补充说，电力基础设施方面的合作也有助于确保稳定的电力供应，加强能源安全。

在国防方面，两国领导人将K9自行榴弹炮的联合生产描述为成功的合作模式。

李表示希望双方的合作能够超越武器出口，通过本地生产和技术合作来加强埃及的军事能力和工业基础。

塞西承诺支持韩国企业在埃及开展业务，并表示关系升级将使两国关系实现质的飞跃。

两国领导人还讨论了朝鲜半岛和中东的和平问题，李光耀赞扬了埃及在加沙地带为实现和平所做的努力，双方都重申了所有船舶安全自由航行的重要性。