Cairo - Mubasher: The Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation, Rania El-Mashat, announced signing 12 development financing agreements worth EUR 197 million within the framework of the joint cooperation strategy with Germany during the first half (H1) of 2021.
The funding will be used in financing projects in various sectors, including energy and vocational training as well as women empowerment and enhancing the partnership with the private sector, El-Mashat said in a statement on Sunday.
Two financial and technical cooperation deals were signed with the German government, under which grants worth EUR 57.5 million were provided to finance projects in energy efficiency, renewable energy, technical education, vocational training, and innovation in the private sector, administrative reform, water support, and sanitation.
In addition, 10 executive grant contracts were signed with the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ), including the amended contract of the youth against sexual harassment (YASH) project worth EUR 4 million directed to the Ministry of Youth and Sport; the contract for the development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) project worth EUR 14 million for the Ministry of Trade and Industry; and the EUR 8 million contract for building institutional capacities in public administration by integrating the best international practices.
The deals also include the EUR 14.5 million contract for the second phase of the employment support project, the EUR 14.9 million enhancement of the Egyptian dual system (EEDS) project, the EUR 6 million national solid waste management programme (NSWMP), and the EUR 7 million agricultural innovation project (AIP).
Egypt's current development cooperation portfolio with Germany reaches EUR 1.7 billion, through which 30 projects were financed in the form of funds, technical support grants, and financial contributions.
