et guide: Egypt-EU development partnership portfolio

CAIRO - 1 March 2023: The Ministry of International Cooperation is constantly conducting technical meetings with the European Union with the participation of all national bodies to continuously assess the development of projects and discuss future priorities, as the ongoing development partnership portfolio with the European Union amounts to 1.3 billion euros, which varies in all fields of development.

 

Last December, the Ministry of International Cooperation and the European Union concluded the activities of the second phase of the program to support and reform technical and vocational education and training, TVET, which comes within the framework of joint cooperation between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the European Union, with co-financing from both sides at a value of 117 million euros.

 

This aimed at expanding and promoting investment in human capital and qualifying graduates from technical and vocational education for the labor market, in light of the strategy and vision of the state to achieve sustainable development.

 

During the COP27 held in Egypt last November, a letter of intent was signed with the European Union to promote the energy axis within the national platform for green projects at a value of 35 million euros, and a memorandum of understanding with the European Union and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, on the “Mediterranean Hydrogen Partnership”, to promote investment in Renewable energy.

 

Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, recently met with the delegation of the European Parliament headed by Representative Thierry Mariani, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Sub-Committee on Human Rights, and each of the Representative, Jean Kabila, and the Representative, Ludwig Guga, and a number of accompanying persons, where the meeting dealt with a review of economic cooperation relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the European Union, ongoing partnerships, future programmes, and joint action to stimulate blended finance and regional cooperation programmes.

 

The Minister of International Cooperation stressed the importance of relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the European Union, as one of the "strategic development partners."

 

The fields of cooperation vary at all levels, including the sectors of transport, water, agriculture, small and medium enterprises, renewable energy, civil society and capacity building, pointing to the positive developments and partnerships signed. The two sides have recently agreed to contribute to advancing development efforts, especially at the green transition level, as well as the grant agreements signed during the year 2022 in terms of grant agreements to support development in various fields at a value of 58 million euros, in addition to the disbursement of 80 million euros in grants for the health sector budget support program.

 

Al-Mashat reviewed, with the delegation of the European Parliament, the ongoing partnerships between the government and the European Union and the role played by the Ministry of International Cooperation to strengthen relations with multilateral and bilateral development partners, pointing to the keenness of the Egyptian state, led by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, to move forward in developing partnerships. International relations with all development partners and the establishment of relations based on supporting development efforts and meeting the priorities of the state.