Sunday 22 Dec
On the sidelines of the joint Egyptian-European investment conference, opened on Saturday by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Prime Minister Dr. Moustafa Madbouly witnessed the signing of four financing agreements funded by European Union grants.
The agreements were signed by Dr.
Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, and Oliver Varhelyi,
European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Policies.
The first agreement is for the
"Cross-Border Cooperation for Mediterranean Basin Countries Phase III
2021-2027" program. Under this program, the European Union will provide
€263 million in funding, representing 89% of the program's total budget of €292
million, to 15 countries. The program will support private sector development
in Egypt and a number of Mediterranean Basin countries in the following
sectors: sustainable tourism, cultural heritage, creative and cultural
industries, digital transformation, agriculture and agri-food, blue and
circular economy, education and training, energy, and green building.
The second agreement is for the
EU Youth Employment and Skills Support Program in Egypt, with a total value of
€25 million. The program aims to support young people in acquiring a number of
skills, including technical and vocational skills for employment, fair-wage
jobs, and entrepreneurship.
The third agreement, which is for
EU support for future generations with a grant of €8 million, aims to support
the national approach to child protection systems in Egypt. This will be done
through activities that focus on child protection frameworks, combating child
labour, and providing a comprehensive approach to ensure children's rights to
education, health care, nutrition, and housing.
The fourth agreement is the
"Measures to Enhance Africa's Capacity for Vaccine and Drug Manufacturing
and Application of Health Technologies" project with a grant of €3
million. It aims to strengthen local vaccine manufacturing and support an
enabling environment for the production of medical and health technologies
through research and skills development.
