AIN SOKHNA, Egypt — Egypt invited businessmen and economists from the Gaza Strip to attend the second meeting of the Ain Sokhna conference in the Ain Sokhna Red Sea resort on Nov. 7-9 to discuss the Palestinian cause and the blockade imposed by Israel. Palestinian businessmen saw this invitation as a positive sign of Egypt’s openness to build commercial ties with Gaza, particularly since one of the most important topics discussed at the conference was reviving the project of the free industrial trade zone between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
The first meeting in Ain Sokhna had taken place Oct. 16-18.