In the wake of Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly's visit to Germany in June, Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr stressed the necessity of developmental and venture cooperation between Egypt and Germany, which has had a tangible reflection on the social and economic fields in Egypt, especially in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Nasr's statements came during a panel discussion held on Tuesday with the participation of Minister of Education Tarek Shawky, Minister of Local Development Mohamed Shaarawy, Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhy, and a number of German officials. "The meeting is in keeping with Egypt's participation in the 22nd round of the Arab-German Forum, and the essential cooperation areas cover energy and renewable energy, sustainable development, which includes small and medium-sized projects, technical education, youth, women and social development, in addition to irrigation and infrastructure," Nasr said. The minister asserted that the government appreciates the German development grants delivered to Egypt, explaining that they are consistent with Egypt's national development plans, adding that the government is keen on expanding development and investment cooperation between the two countries based on their historical relationship. In the same vein, Minister of Education Tarek Shawky pointed out that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has given directives that Egypt implement the German system in education, as has been done with the Japanese system. Shawky said the Ministry of Education has taken significant steps to implement the technical education development strategy in collaboration with development partners in Germany. The minister added that a new authority for technical education quality accreditation is set to be established, and that an academy for training teachers and for technical education will be set up. Minister of Local Development Mohamed Shaarawy revealed that his ministry is keen to cooperate with all international partners working in Egypt to achieve inclusive development in all governorates and improve the quality of services to citizens. "We currently coordinate with the German side to enhance the capabilities of all those who work in local development," he added. On a related front, Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhy highlighted the cooperation between the two sides in improving youth centres and youth leadership training. Andreas Kok, minister Nasr's advisor and head of the EU Sector at Minister of Investment and International Cooperation, said that Egypt has taken a significant steps in improving institutional capacities, making legislative reform, and supporting the private sector support. "We insist on expanding developmental cooperation with Egypt based on the positive impacts of this cooperation throughout the past few years, especially in the energy sector and in solid waste recycling," Kok said. Cooperation in development between Egypt and Germany is estimated at $2.4 billion. Source: Ahram Online
