Egyptian Minister of Local Development Mahmoud Shaarawy conferred with a delegation of the Namibian government and the World Food Programme (WFP) on means to boost co-operation in expertise exchange.
Shaarawy asserted Cairo’s keenness on boosting bilateral ties with Windhoek in various domains.
This came during Shaarawy’s meeting on Wednesday with the delegation on the sidelines of the Egypt International Co-operation Forum (Egypt-ICF) held under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.
Shaarawy reviewed the efforts of the political leadership that helped Egypt restore its power regionally and globally.
He outlined the pivotal ministerial role in coordinating between the ministries and the governorates in relation to development, education, health and housing.
Shaarawy pointed out to some projects and programmes supervised by his ministry, as part of ‘Decent Life’ presidential rural development initiative that will improve that quality of life for 60 million people in 20 governorates over three years at a cost of LE700 billion.
He affirmed the interest of his ministry to have municipalities work with the international partners, universities and Egyptian academies, especially the National Training Academy to improve public services, upgrade work performance and conserve state resources.
Shaarawy pointed out to efforts by his ministry to provide jobs for young people and single women breadwinners in villages nationwide.
Meanwhile, the Namibian delegation lauded Egypt’s role under President Sisi’s leadership in supporting the African countries.
The Namibian delegation also praised the efforts of the Ministry of Local Development in reforming the local administration, its working system, planning and follow-up of projects.
The delegation expressed the desire to co-operate with Egypt in housing and infrastructure in addition to building smart cities, following the example of Egyptian successes in this area.
They also expressed keenness on co-operating in agriculture, water management and modern irrigation methods.
