By: Ashraf Sadek CAIRO, April 24, 2018 - President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Tuesday met with Mr. Miguel Arias Cañete, the EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, who praised the longstanding relationship between Egypt and the EU member states. During the meeting, Mr. Cañete said that the EU-Egyptian relationship was an important regional cornerstone of European energy policy. He said that his talks with President Sisi focused on issues of bilateral concern including the means of increasing energy cooperation between the European bloc and Egypt. Mr. Cañete reiterated to President Sisi the EU's support for the political, economic and social aspirations of the Egyptian people now that the Cairo government had taken significant steps to upgrade the electricity sector over the past few years. President Sisi said that his administration had been carrying out an ambitious plan to strengthen and modernise the electricity sector so that citizens can feel the constant improvement in the quality of services as well as in the availability of stable electric current supply nationwide. This plan, President Sisi told Mr. Cañete, included the building and equipping of many power-generating plants, improving the infra-structure of existing ones, developing the electricity transmission units and upgrading the control units in Egypt's governorates. Such plan, President Sisi said, would also ensure maximum utilisation of natural resources and the integration of electric energy policies to achieve energy security and push forward developmental efforts in Egypt. Mr. Cañete praised the distinguished performance of the electricity sector as well as its constant upgrading so as to meet the needs of citizens, Presidency Spokesman Ambassador Bassam Radi said after the meeting that was attended by the Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Dr. Mohamed Shaker. The President also highlighted the major role played by the electricity sector in coping with the requirements of economic growth in the country and contributing to the provision of the infrastructure necessary for drawing in additional foreign investments. The President has also briefed Mr. Cañete about Egypt's efforts to make electricity networking with neighbouring countries. In this regard, the President said that Egypt was the first regional country to build a set of modern facilities that are related to the electricity networking as part of Cairo government's strategy to enhance its co-operation with neighbouring and EU countries in the field of electricity and natural gas. Mr. Cañete pointed out that the Egyptian electricity sector was witnessing comprehensive enhancement with the establishment and upgrading of new power plants. He also said that the Egypt was becoming a regional natural gas hub after it announced the discovery of many new offshore fields. Ambassador Radi said that the Sisi-Cañete discussions dealt with the efforts of the Cairo government in coping with climate change and environment preservation issues. President Sisi affirmed that Egypt was paying due attention to climate change, which he said would have negative socio-economic effects on nations and their development plans. Mr. Cañete agreed with President Sisi's call for exerting concerted international efforts to combat the global warming problem in Africa. Later on, President Sisi conferred with Mr. Ulrich Spiesshofer, the chief executive officer of the Swiss ABB Company for digital products and services, which has investments worth US$200 million in Egypt, Ambassador Radi said. He said that the meeting focused on the company's on-going projects as well as widening the scope of its activities in Egypt.
