Senior officials of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) conducted a field tour of the main landmarks of Egypt’s Administrative Capital City and Cairo late on Thursday, including the Pyramids, the Great Egyptian Museum, and the National Museum for the Egyptian Civilisation. The tour was organized by the Finance Ministry on the sidelines of AIIB’s annual meetings which will be held in Sharm el-Sheikh for the first time on Monday and Tuesday.
AIIB’s delegation said: “We saw in the New Administrative Capital a creative example for sustainable development and a dream we have long aspired to achieve for our projects. It is a civilised step for creating promising opportunities and future partnerships with the private sector in Egypt”.
AIIB’s President Jin Liqun thanked Egypt for hosting the bank’s annual meetings. He described Egypt as an important partner in development and intercontinental connectivity. He emphasised that AIIB officials were impressed by the Egyptian state’s insistence to improve the quality of life for the majority of Egyptians. He said we are happy to co-operate with Egypt to reinforce partnership with the private sector and push the wheels of production forward. He indicated that he has previously visited the new capital when it was in a stage of construction and now it is in a stage of efficiency, development and progress.
AIIB’s vice president Konstantine Limitovisky said we have already been impressed by Egypt’s New Administrative Capital. He indicated that construction of this city began few years ago and now it has become a new capital for Egypt in a way that reflects the size of efforts being exerted to achieve sustainable development. He said it is important that Egypt will host AIIB’s annual meetings in Africa for the first time. He indicated that AIIB concluded four partnerships with Egypt and that it is now looking forward to reaching new partnerships with Egypt in the future as it represents the cornerstone in North Africa and the Middle East.
AIIB’s senior financial officer Andrew Cruz said we saw great determination in Egypt to achieve development for the future and that this was very clear in the new capital, which is a good and unique example of smart cities.
AIIB’s alternate director Assaf Sherman said one of his great dreams was to visit Egypt because he is fond of history and antiquities. He said I was also impressed by what I saw in the New Administrative Capital because it represents a unique development experience. I was also amazed by what I saw in Cairo and that this reflects the ambitions and the will of the Egyptian state to join the modern age, particularly in the area of building smart cities.
AIIB’s Administrative Officer Anna Buhler said I was particularly impressed by what I saw in the New Administrative Capital and the huge investments there. She said I saw many new cities around the world but I have never seen before a one like the New Administrative Capital and its great buildings, particularly the big mosque and the Islamic center.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister and Egypt’s Governor to the AIIB Mohamed Maeet and Deputy Finance Minister and AIIB’s board member Ahmed Kouchouk were keen to receive AIIB’s president and board members on the sidelines of the tourist tour.
Minister Maeet said Egypt’s wise political leadership was able to introduce a rich development experience based on huge investments into infrastructure and in a way that contributed to turning challenges into construction and sustainable development that everyone can see in each village, city and street across the country. This goes hand in hand with efforts being exerted to create investment opportunities that are attractive to the private sector and across the border development partnerships.
Deputy finance minister for fiscal policies and AIIB’s board member Kouchouk said we are looking forward to building development co-operation and partnerships with AIIB as this reflects the will of the two parties and goes in line with the strategic objectives of the Egyptian state in achieving sustainable and comprehensive development.
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