CAIRO Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to lift a ban on imports of Egyptian agricultural products, Egypt said yesterday, as the country works to step up exports to narrow its budget deficit. The series of bans were said to have been on concerns over pesticide residues. The three Gulf countries had banned various agricultural imports from Egypt, including pepper, lettuce and onion, earlier this year. Egypt has asked an agricultural quarantine body to advise on shipments and warn of exporters who violate agreed-upon international standards, an Egyptian agriculture ministry statement said.