Egypt and the USAID signed on Tuesday a deal for an additional $6 million for the North Sinai development initiative, bringing the total in the bilateral assistance programme to the governorate to $56 million. The agreement was signed by Egypt's Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr and the USAID Mission Director in Egypt Sherry Carlin, in attendance of the US Ambassador in Egypt Jonathan Cohen. The deal was signed by Sahar Nasr and USAID's Mission Director in Egypt Sherry Carlin Nasr said that the agreement aims at achieving major social and developmental improvement for citizens in North Sinai through providing safe drinking water and sanitation services for around 100,000 residents, in addition to upgrading the infrastructure in order to attract investments. “The ties between Egypt and the USA are strategic. The current economic cooperation reflects the economic partnership between the two countries in the developmental sectors of top national priority, in line with the social and economic reform programme that Egypt is undertaking,” according to Nasr. The minister said that the Egyptian government's priorities include the empowerment of young people and women, supporting SMEs, improving drinking water and sanitation, and expanding social protection programmes through implementing development projects in all sectors, especially in infrastructure, new road networks, social housing, healthcare, and education. Source: Ahram Online
