Egypt's Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, met with French Ambassador to Cairo Eric Chevalier and AFD Regional Director for Egypt Cécile Couprie to discuss strengthening the strategic partnership between Egypt and the French Development Agency (AFD). The meeting, held on Friday, aimed to discuss priorities for the next phase of collaboration and follow-up on the implementation of joint projects. Al-Mashat highlighted the government's efforts to manage and enhance the efficiency of public spending, ensuring macroeconomic stability and increasing private sector investments. She stressed the Ministry's commitment to sustainable economic growth through evidence-based and data-driven policies, aiming to bridge development gaps, enhance macroeconomic stability, implement structural reforms to improve the business environment, support the resilience of macro-fiscal policies, and move towards a green economy. The meeting also reviewed the "Towards Shared Prosperity" country strategy between Egypt and the AFD, which runs until 2025 and aims to maximise the benefits of international partnerships and development funding to support Egypt's National Development Vision 2030. The two sides discussed the joint cooperation portfolio, which reflects the strong relationship between Egypt and France. The total cooperation portfolio for the public sector and investments for the private sector has exceeded €3bn since 2006, with the AFD managing an additional €150m in development grants from the European Union (EU). These funds have supported development efforts in various sectors such as the environment, housing, energy, transportation, agriculture, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and health. Al-Mashat also discussed the development of joint relations in light of the "Team Europe" initiative. Agreements signed with the French government and the AFD worth €1.5bn during the period from 2020 to 2023 have supported initiatives in the fields of food security, sanitation, smart transportation, railways, housing, education, higher education, the environment, women, social protection, and energy. Chevalier emphasised France's interest in strengthening relations with the private sector and localising industry and investments in the Egyptian market. The meeting also covered French support for green transformation projects in the energy sector and smart transportation initiatives, including financing the implementation of the Alexandria Regional Control Center (ARCC) project. The two sides also discussed developments in the implementation of projects included in the current portfolio through the Automated Information Management System (AIMS) and the progress this has created towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
