Egypt’s Minister of Transport Engineer Kamel el-Wazir and the French Ambassador to Cairo, Marc Baretti, witnessed on Wednesday the signing of a memorandum of understanding regarding the second phase of studies for Line 6 between the National Tunnels Authority and the consortium of French consulting companies Aegis Rail – CITC led by the French company Aegis Rail.
The minister said that financing this stage of studies comes within the road map signed between the French Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Egyptian Ministry of Transport, which includes the French Treasury financing this study with a grant of €8 million, stressing that co-operation at this stage comes within the framework of supporting relations between the two countries, which are based on deep historical ties and friendship and mutual trust.
The Minister added that the signing of this memorandum to implement the second phase of the sixth line study, which lasts 18 months, comes as a continuation of the first phase of the study in order to prepare detailed studies, initial design, project requirements, and technical specifications.
He pointed out that the consultant will prepare and compile documents, which will be required for agreement between the two governments on the project financing strategy.
The Minister stressed that the implementation of the sixth metro line comes within the Ministry of Transport’s plan to implement the directives of the political leadership to complete the metro line network, as it is one of the most important means of green, environmentally friendly mass transportation, which extends in a path parallel to the first line, the “backbone” of the network, to reduce the burden on it and facilitate the movement of citizens.
Before the signing, the ministermet with the French Ambassador in Cairo to discuss strengthening co-operation between the two sides in various fields of transportation. The minister praised the positive cooperation between the two sides in implementing a number of projects in the fields of railways and subways, as well as cooperation between the Ministry and a number of French companies to implement giant projects in Egypt, such as the existing cooperation with the French company Vinci in establishing the third metro line.
The Minister also expressed his appreciation for the existing cooperation between the Ministry of Transport in the field of managing and operating a number of transport projects, such as the French company RATP, which manages and operates the third line of the metro and the light electric train, and the CMA Company, which manages and operates the Tahya Misr multi-purpose station in Alexandria Port.
For his part, the French ambassador to Cairo expressed his happiness at the visit of the Egyptian Ministry of Transport in the New Administrative Capital, thanking the Minister of Transport for the fruitful cooperation between the two sides in the field of transport.
He stressed that there is a strong strategic partnership between Egypt and France, under the leadership of Presidents Abdel Fattah ElSisi and Emmanuel Macron, explaining that the field of transport is considered a major element in this partnership, indicating that the French side is proud of this cooperation with the Egyptian side, and of France’s participation in the development and prosperity of infrastructure and transportation in the country. Egypt.
