Egypt's Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat, met with Japan's Ambassador to Cairo, IWAI Fumio, to discuss the implementation plan for outcomes from her December 2024 visit to Japan. The meeting, held at the ministry's headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Al-Mashat highlighted the deep-rooted developmental relations between Egypt and Japan, spanning nearly 70 years. She noted that the relationship has evolved into a strategic partnership following an agreement between President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in 2023. Al-Mashat expressed the Egyptian government's appreciation for its partnership with Japan and their collaborative efforts across numerous strategic sectors. During the meeting, Al-Mashat referred to her visit to Japan in December 2024, where several significant agreements for developmental projects and funding, totalling $234 million, were signed. These funds are intended to support the national budget, develop the private sector, improve the livelihoods of small farmers in Egypt, and develop the Egyptian Opera House. She underscored the Policy Development Program aimed at enhancing the Egyptian private sector and diversifying the economy. This program seeks to support the national budget, advance structural reforms, and encourage private sector investments by promoting competitiveness and improving the business environment. Al-Mashat outlined the Egyptian-Japanese cooperation portfolio, which includes numerous development projects in the transportation and antiquities sectors, as well as initiatives that support investment in human capital, such as health, education, higher education, and technical education. These projects include the first phase of the Cairo Metro's Fourth Line, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Egyptian-Japanese schools, the Egyptian-Japanese University of Science and Technology, outpatient clinics for the Children's University Hospital (Abu El-Reesh), the development of Borg El Arab Airport, and the construction of the New Dairout Barrage. Additionally, cooperation extends to the Comprehensive Health Insurance project. She noted that collaboration also supports the development of infrastructure and the transition to renewable energy, contributing to inclusive and sustainable growth. The minister also reviewed the Egyptian government's efforts to increase private sector involvement in development, as well as the structural reforms aimed at fostering sustainable and inclusive growth. The structural reform matrix focuses on three key pillars: ensuring macroeconomic stability and resilience, improving competitiveness and the business environment, and fostering the green transition. In 2024, 86 measures were implemented as part of this agenda. Al-Mashat emphasized the importance of international development partners' contributions to the Egyptian government's economic and structural reforms, which are intended to strengthen the private sector's role as a key driver of development and contribute to Egypt's vision for inclusive and sustainable growth. The meeting also explored how Egypt can leverage Japan's expertise in artificial intelligence. Discussions focused on collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and various Egyptian ministries to study the integration of AI into projects implemented in partnership with Japan, with the aim of advancing Egypt's AI agenda. This includes integration into governance, various economic sectors, skill development, and infrastructure. Furthermore, the meeting addressed enhancing cooperation in education, specifically through the activation of the Japanese Technical Education model (EJ-KOSEN) at selected technical institutes under the Ministry of Education. There were also talks about expanding the number of Egyptian-Japanese schools to include the governorates covered by the "Haya Karima" initiative. The Japanese Ambassador reaffirmed the strong relations between Egypt and Japan, stressing his country's commitment to continued constructive cooperation at the economic and investment levels, in order to serve shared interests and support development efforts in Egypt.
