A project to expand the Abu El Reesh Children's Hospital will start soon, the ministry of planning announced in an official statement. The $20m project is financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). No specific start date was provided by the ministry, however. The announcements followed the Sunday meeting of Minister of Planning Ashraf El-Araby and JICA Egypt office head Hideki Matsunaga to discuss joint projects. The two parties have several joint cooperation projects that include the Conservation Center in the Grand Egyptian Museum, the first phase of construction for the third line of the Cairo metro and the joint Egyptian-Japanese academy for science and technology. The Egyptian minister also touched on the seminar sponsored by JICA, which will take place during the coming week. The seminar will tackle possible ways to achieve comprehensive development and create economic opportunities, with a specific focus on rural development and "role of development partners."
