Egypt's Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk has urged stronger international cooperation to bolster food security, warning that high global food prices are stretching public finances and weighing on growth in developing countries. Speaking at a G20 meeting in Cairo on Monday, Minister Kouchouk said Egypt had expanded agricultural land, improved productivity and maintained steady supplies of basic food items. He noted that Cairo allocates about 165 billion Egyptian pounds annually to subsidise staple goods for more than 60 million citizens. The minister also pointed to the expansion of Egypt's Takaful and Karama social protection programme, which now supports 5mn families with benefits tied to education and health outcomes. Minister Kouchouk called for mobilising resources for sustainable agricultural investment and stronger private sector participation, while stressing the importance of addressing climate change and reforming global financial systems to close development funding gaps. Egypt, he added, backed international efforts such as the global alliance against poverty and hunger within the G20 framework, and would continue pushing for more resilient and fair food systems. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: Y.Yasser
