South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi elevated bilateral ties to a strategic partnership on Thursday, signing or revising 12 cooperation documents covering trade, manufacturing, energy and maritime affairs. The leaders formally declared the launch of negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with the first round scheduled for the first half of 2027.

The agreements include cooperation on liquefied natural gas bunkering, environmentally friendly ship repairs and workforce training, supporting Egypt’s Suez Canal Green Strategy 2030. Seoul also plans to establish a public-private mechanism to implement the shipbuilding agreement. During a separate meeting