The Ministry of International Cooperation unveils the updates of the development financing agreements that were signed between the Egyptian and French governments, following the visit of France’s Minister of the Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire to Egypt in June 202, to help deliver Egypt’s ambitious climate change strategy.
As part of its strategy to foster international climate partnerships that enables Egypt’s climate action to come to life through a collaborative process, the agreements that were signed aim to achieve the Ministry’s mitigation and adaptation climate objectives simultaneously, totaling a worth a of 1.6 billion euros, which was witnessed by Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and signed by H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, with France's Minister of Finance and Economy and the President of the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement).
An agreement was signed between the government of Egypt and the French Development Agency to upgrade the Tanta-Mansoura-Damietta railway worth 97 million euros, including 2 million euros as a grant for technical assistance.
As smart transportation supports management, efficiency, and safety, using new and emerging technologies, the upgrading of the Tanta - Mansoura - Damietta railway, aims at improving living standards of millions of Egyptian commuters; reflecting Egypt and France’s strong partnership in advancing socio-economic goals set out in Egypt's "Vision 2030" to build a sustainable future for Egypt.
To upgrade Egypt’s climate-smart water infrastructure, an agreement was signed worth 52 million euros (loan) and a grant of 25.1 million euros from the European Union and managed by the French Development Agency to develop the helwan wastewater treatment plant, which targets a vast population of around 2,000,000 beneficiaries. The project will also allow the Helwan Wastewater Treatment Plant to achieve regulatory thresholds in terms of water discharge into the canal, allowing for the safe reuse of at least 500,000 m3/day to 800,000 m3/day from treated wastewater for agricultural purposes.
A financial protocol was also signed between Egypt and France to supply 55 trains and renew warehouse equipment for the first line of the subway, with soft development financing amounting to 776.9 million euros. A grant agreement was also signed to the project “Transforming Financial Systems for Climate (TFSC) in Egypt” worth a total of 1.5 million euros.
As Egypt participates in bilateral and multilateral climate partnerships to receive technical expertise and capacity building support, a technical assistance program was signed to support the monitoring of Egyptian climate-related policies and conducting in-depth sectoral studies on priority sectors to achieve goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 2030 vision.
A grant agreement was signed between Egypt and France to achieve gender equality in the field of urban transport, worth a total of 300,000 euros to provide economic opportunities for women in a diversity of fields.
The total portfolio of economic cooperation between Egypt and France since 1974 to date has reached 7.5 billion euros, with more 42 cooperation protocols signed targeting various sectors, including transport, electricity, civil aviation, housing, health, agriculture, and irrigation, small and medium enterprises, environment, archeology, basic and technical education.