Egypt has been selected as a priority partner country for South Korean official development assistance (ODA) in the 2021-2025 period. Ambassador of South Korea to Egypt, Hong Jin-wook, met with Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, on Wednesday, and exchanged opinions on the decision and the ways to expand and promote systematic development cooperation through ODA country partnership strategy (CPS), which will be drawn up in the coming months. Ambassador Hong expressed his expectation for the massive expansion of the development cooperation between the two countries. He explained that Egypt is a country of great potential with young capable manpower and is already a strategic hub for the Korean business entities in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. That is why Korea designated Egypt as the only ODA priority partner country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. He hoped that this would contribute to the successful implementation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi's structural reforms across the economy and society. In response, Minister Al-Mashat appreciated South Korea for its continued cooperation, and she hopes that the field of partnership will be expanded focused on Korea's strengths such as cutting edge technology, sustainable economic growth model, and human resource development. Ambassador Hong and Minister Al-Mashat reviewed the status of ongoing ODA grants, worth $2.7m including $1.9m for newly implemented projects in 2021 including the master plan for the modernisation of urban transportation in Alexandria and the waste management in Greater Cairo project. They also agreed to organise regular working-level consultations to explore new projects in diversified fields and possible adaptation of framework agreement between the two sides.
