The French Development Agency (AFD) in Egypt is committed to supporting the Country Platform for the Nexus of Water, Food, and Energy (NWFE) in Egypt, according to its director Clémence Vidal de la Blache. She stated that the AFD will provide €100m of blended financing to stimulate the private sector's involvement in the NWFE programme, as well as a €10m grant from European Union partners to boost energy transition in Egypt. Vidal de la Blache also expressed the AFD's interest in participating in the development of projects under the NWFE programme and showcasing the progress made during the COP28 UAE. The European Union representative praised the Egyptian government and development partners for their efforts and reaffirmed the European Union's support for the NWFE platform. He said: "The senior management at the European Union's headquarters is well aware of what NWFE is, so we congratulate Egypt on this achievement that should be replicated in other countries." He added that the European Union is committed to supporting the NWFE platform, based on the memorandum of understanding signed at the COP27 Sharm El-Sheikh, with a value of €35m to develop the energy axis. He also stated that the European Union is interested in supporting the implementation of the national strategy for green hydrogen, which is of paramount importance for energy security. Kristina Kanapinskaite, representative of the European Investment Bank, said: "We are pleased to see this progress in the energy axis of the NWFE programme, and we stand firmly behind the green transition in Egypt by mobilizing financing worth €1.3bn, as we announced at the COP27 climate conference. This includes $300m in facilitated development loans for the government, and €1bn for the private sector to enhance its contribution to the transition to renewable energy. We are also working to support the green hydrogen strategy and Egypt's efforts to connect in the field of energy with Greece, Italy and Jordan, and we want to expand the scope of these solutions."
