By Mahmoud Murad Egyptian and Pakistani foreign ministers will meet mid- December to discuss bilateral ties. Pakistan wants closer ties with Egypt. This is what I know from talks with top Pakistani officials, including President Pervez Musharraf and Senate Chairman Mohamed Mian Soomro. Pakistan needs Egyptian expertise in water management, land reclamation, and agriculture. Pakistan and Egypt can also cooperate in the leather industry, a sector in which the Pakistanis excel. Pakistan exports over $6 million a year in leather products and is ready to cooperate with Egypt in this industry. A few years ago, the Pakistani minister of trade and industry came to Egypt and visited Al-Ahram, accompanied by several businessmen. I suggested that both countries start a giant project for leather products in one of Egypt's free industrial zones, such as Port Said or Suez, and the Pakistanis liked the idea. We made the suggestion on the pages of Al-Ahram, but unfortunately no one took the Pakistanis on their offer. This is just an example of the opportunities that we've missed so far. Egypt and Pakistan can cooperate in cultural matters spanning religion to art. We all know that there is a need for more understanding between Shias and Sunnis, and that is something the two countries can do much about. One of the things President Musharraf suggested was for Egypt to start schools and colleges in Pakistan. Also Pakistanis enjoy Egyptian films, music and folklore. I recall that when our National Folkloric Dance Troupe toured Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore a few years ago, it performed to full theatres. So let's think of ways to engage the Pakistanis in closer cooperation. This week's Soapbox speaker is deputy editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram.
