MANILA: Egypt is seeking to strengthen cooperation with the Philippines through handicraft, Cairo’s ambassador in Manila told Arab News, saying he sees potential in stronger relations between the two countries whose people share many similarities. Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Egypt were established in 1946. Manila’s embassy in Cairo, which opened in the 1960s, was its sole diplomatic mission in the African and Arab region until the mid-1970s. Egyptian Ambassador to the Philippines Ahmed Shehabeldin said every sector has the potential to further boost Philippines-Egypt relations, but he sees potential in starting with handicraft. “I would love to invest in cultural products,” Shehabeldin told Arab News on the sidelines of Egypt National Day event in Metro Manila on Wednesday evening. “For example, in Egypt we have ‘tally.’ This is beautiful and this is handmade. We have to invest in this and to make this high-end. It’s handicraft, handmade, so you start by that,” he said. Tally, also known as assiut or tulle-bi-telli, which translates as “net with wire,” is a traditional metal thread embroidery, a netting fabric named after its city of origin, Asyut, in the 19th century. “You have to invest in people, you have to invest in your culture, you have to invest in your heritage,” Shehabeldin said. The Egyptian envoy said that more people-to-people engagement will also be key. “Egypt and the Philippines, there are many similarities between the people ... so I see potential,” he said. Shehabeldin said he is developing some potential cooperation with the Philippines, but did not specify. One recent cooperation between the two countries is in agriculture, with the Middle East nation kicking off its exports of citrus to the Southeast Asian country last month following an agreement signed in 2022. Egypt is among the world’s top exporters of citrus, accounting for about 5.9 percent in 2021, according to data from the French world economy center CEPII. To further bolster ties, Shehabeldin is urging Egyptian businesses to visit the Philippines. “And I’m encouraging also business people from Egypt who like overseas investment: Come to the Philippines.”