9 Agreements worth 160 million euros between Egypt and Germany
The Ministry of International Cooperation announced the signing of 9 joint development cooperation agreements with the German side, at a value of 160 million euros, in many development sectors.
Among the agreements signed are the development of technical education and infrastructure development, in light of the multilateral cooperation efforts to stimulate the country's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promote green transformation.
80 million euros to support the private sector
Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, and Sevina Schulz, Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, signed a financial cooperation agreement between the Egyptian and German governments with grants worth 80 million euros, to support the implementation of three projects in the sectors of supporting competitiveness in the private sector, solid waste management, technical education and vocational training.
4 agreements worth 57 million euros
The Minister of International Cooperation also signed 4 financing agreements with Srosten Schneider, Director of the Energy Sector for Cooperation with North African Countries at the German Construction Bank in Frankfurt, at a value of 57 million euros, and the agreements are divided as follows:
Supporting the education initiative with 26 million euros
The financing agreement for the financial support project for the comprehensive technical education initiative in Egypt, at a value of 26 million euros, for the benefit of the Ministry of Education and Technical Education. The project aims to support the establishment of 25 Egyptian centers of excellence and schools of applied technology.
A project to rehabilitate water canals with a value of 16 million euros
A financing agreement of 16.5 million euros, and a grant agreement of 2 million euros, for a project to rehabilitate water canals, in favor of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, as it aims to improve the efficiency of the irrigation system, which contributes to increasing production as well as increasing farmers’ income
12 million euros to rehabilitate the facilities
The financing agreement in the amount of 12.5 million euros, in favor of the Ministry of Education and Technical Education, as the project aims to support the establishment of centers of excellence, including the rehabilitation of facilities, and the equipping of offices, workshops and laboratories that allow the training of teachers located in the surrounding areas.
In a related context, the Minister of International Cooperation signed, with Dr. Alexander Soliga, Director of the GIZ office in Cairo, 4 executive contracts with a total value of 23 million euros in the form of technical support grants, as follows:
The executive contract for the Nile Delta Water Management Program, in the amount of 11 million euros, for the Ministry of Housing, Utilities, Urban Communities, Agriculture and Land Reclamation.
E-government support worth 8 million euros
The executive contract for the project to support e-government and innovation in public administration, at a value of 8 million euros, as the project aims to support e-government applications.
Infrastructure project worth 2 million euros
The implementation contract for the infrastructure project with participation, at a value of 2 million euros, in favor of the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, as the project aims to improve the level of provision of basic infrastructure and services in the governorates.
Implementation contract for the capacity-building project through the development of infrastructure works in areas affected by illegal immigration: in the amount of 2 million euros, in favor of the Ministry of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities, as the project aims to increase employment and develop skills.
After the signing events, Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, held a bilateral meeting with Sefina Schulze, the German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, to discuss joint areas of cooperation within the framework of the country's development priorities, and the position of the ongoing projects implemented with the concerned Egyptian ministries and authorities, in addition to discussions on Egyptian-German cooperation under the umbrella of the national platform for green projects, the “Novi” program, and preparation for the Egyptian-German government negotiations for the year 2022.
Al-Mashat praised the joint political declaration between Egypt, Germany and the United States to support the energy axis within the Nofa program, which confirms the depth of Egyptian-German relations, according to which Germany allocates 250 million euros to support the platform, including 150 million euros in development grants and debt swaps.
It is worth noting that the ongoing development cooperation portfolio with Germany records 1.6 billion euros, through which 30 projects were financed in the form of soft development funds, technical support grants and financial contributions, benefiting many sectors, including energy efficiency and renewable energy, sanitation, irrigation, and water support. Solid waste management, immigration, labor market, innovation in the private sector, technical education, vocational training, urban development, administrative reform, women, youth and social development. The total value of the Egyptian-German debt swap program is 240 million euros.