The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat met, today, with the Serbian Minister of Information and Telecommunications Dejan Ristić, in Belgrade, to discuss fostering cooperation in ICT fields, especially digital transformation, digital infrastructure development, and capacity-building. The meeting was joined by the Ambassador of Egypt to Serbia Bassel Salah.
During the meeting, the ICT Minister outlined the prominent projects underway in light of the Digital Egypt strategy, which aims to digitize government services, drive tech innovation, and enhance digital skills among citizens. He referred to the promising potential of the ICT sector, highlighting the shared interest in pursuing discussions to deepen cooperation in related areas.
Ristić showcased the key projects carried out by the Serbian Ministry of Information and Telecommunications, particularly those focusing on developing digital infrastructure and expanding high-speed Internet access. He also emphasized digital transformation projects, cybersecurity efforts, and digital skills development.
Moreover, Talaat met with the Serbian Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovations Jelena Begović, in the presence of the Ambassador of Egypt to Serbia. The meeting delved into strengthening bilateral cooperation to implement skill development programs in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advance R&D projects related to these technologies.
The ICT Minister underlined Egypt’s key achievements in promoting the use of AI. He referred to the goals and pillars of the National AI Strategy and AI governance efforts.
For her part, Begović mentioned that Serbia will host the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI 2024) Summit in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). She also extended an invitation to Talaat for Egypt to participate in the global event.
In a similar vein, Talaat and Begović, accompanied by Salah, toured the Science Technology Park Belgrade (STP Belgrade), affiliated with the Serbian Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation. Established drawing on best international practices, STP Belgrade houses the Business Technology Incubator of Technical Faculties Belgrade (BITF) and the Serbian Innovation Fund. Additionally, it hosts several startups, innovation-focused institutions, a university, and R&D centers and provides various activities, programs, and services that shape the development of Serbia’s innovation ecosystem.
During the visit, the Serbian Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovations reviewed the programs provided by her Ministry to support startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The ICT Minister presented the programs and initiatives of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), designed to nurture a culture of creativity, drive digital innovation, and promote entrepreneurship across Egypt.
The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation between the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA), Creativa Innovation Hubs, and STP Belgrade.
In addition, Talaat visited a startup incubated at STP Belgrade and received a detailed explanation from another startup’s official about the services provided to them by the Park.
The visit’s agenda included a meeting with the Director of STP Belgrade Gordana Danilović Grković to explore potential collaboration in supporting entrepreneurship.
The meetings were attended by ITIDA CEO Ahmed Elzaher, Assistant ICT Minister for Strategy and Implementation Sherine El-Guindy, and Director of the Central Department of International Relations at MCIT Samah Aziz.
