CAIRO – The prospects for future co-operation between Egypt and France, through a recently-agreed financial package that will channelled to projects in Egypt, were the focus of a high-level meeting yesterday.
Minister of International Co-operation Rania al-Mashat met yesterday Stefan Romettier, Ambassador of France to Egypt, and Michael Aldenberg, the French economic Counsellor, to follow up the implementation of the results of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s visit to France last December, which witnessed the signing of financing agreements worth €715.6 million.
During the meeting, al-Mashat praised the strategic relations and co-operation between the two countries, which would contribute to supporting the implementation of the national development agenda in line with the sustainable development goals, a ministry statement said yesterday.
She also noted that her ministry seeks to develop and strengthen economic relations with bilateral and multilateral development partners through economic diplomacy, which is based on three principles, namely joint coordination and cooperation, matching development finance with the UN sustainable development goals, and listing international participations.
For his part, the French ambassador lauded the French-Egyptian relations, noting that the presidential visit to France at the end of last year succeeded in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, through agreeing on finances for development for new projects, and discussing the financial package that will be channelled to projects that would be carried out by French companies operating in Egypt.
He added that he looks forward to more co-operation between the two countries in a way that would support the implementation of development goals.
The meeting also discussed the technical negotiations that are scheduled to start in early February, coinciding with a visit by the French Ministry of Finance mission to Egypt.
The French mission will hold several meetings with a number of agencies and ministries in Egypt to discuss the details of priority projects that will be financed through the financial package.
Minister al-Mashat said she looks forward that these negotiations would result in the best term in order to support development projects in Egypt.
During President Sisi’s visit to France last December, minister al-Mashat and Remy Roux, Director of French Development Agency (AFD), signed finances for development agreements worth €715.6 million in the sectors of health, transport, education and water.
The funds are part of a Memorandum of Understanding for strategic partnership in social and economic development, worth one billion euros for 2019/23.
