H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, held a bilateral meeting with Mr. Lionel Rapaille, Director for EU Neighbouring Countries Operations at the European Investment Bank (EIB), during his official visit to Cairo from 7 to 11 December 2025. The meeting was attended by Mr. Guido Clary, Head of the EIB Regional Office in Cairo, along with several bank officials. Discussions focused on the outcomes of the EIB’s visit to Egypt, which included numerous meetings with government entities and other stakeholders, as well as reviewing the ongoing cooperation in infrastructure projects, green transition initiatives, and private sector support.
At the beginning of the meeting, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat welcomed the EIB delegation, highlighting the importance of bilateral relations within the framework of the comprehensive Egypt–EU partnership. She noted the pivotal role the bank plays in financing numerous projects in Egypt, for both government and private sector initiatives.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat stated that the current cooperation portfolio with the EIB amounts to approximately €2.7 billion, in addition to development grants worth €108.3 million, implemented through 15 projects in transport, environment, sanitation, civil aviation, food security, and energy sectors. She highlighted the EIB’s leading role in financing the private sector in Egypt, with total financing exceeding €7 billion since operations began in 1979, primarily directed toward developing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and supporting the expansion of large companies.
She also noted that during 2020–2024, relations with the bank developed significantly, reflected in credit lines extended to Egyptian banks exceeding €3 billion. These funds have supported over 13,000 small, medium, and micro projects, alongside the EIB’s contributions to local and regional investment funds.
The two sides discussed the development of their partnership under the Sustainable Transport pillar of the national NWFE Program, which includes implementing several sustainable transport projects in line with Egypt’s green transition efforts. They also reviewed the role of the EIB Regional Office in Cairo, which serves as a hub for strengthening government and private sector relations and fostering multi-party partnerships with other countries.
The meeting also explored potential future areas of cooperation, including coastal pollution reduction projects, financing housing ministry initiatives, collaboration on the electricity interconnection project with Jordan, upcoming cooperation in the health sector with Vacsira, irrigation projects in Upper Egypt, and debt-for-development swap programs.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat emphasized the importance of maximizing the benefits of the EIB Regional Office in Cairo and its role in supporting trilateral and South–South cooperation.
It is noteworthy that since the establishment of relations with the European Investment Bank in 1979, the bank has invested €13.7 billion to finance approximately 118 projects across both the government and private sectors.