During the 46th Session of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome, Italy, the Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat held a number of bilateral meetings with many development partners and government officials to discuss ways to enhance joint cooperation and stimulate food security efforts in Egypt.
FAO Director General
Al-Mashat met with QU Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and expressed her appreciation for the existing cooperation between the Government of Egypt and the UN and their eagerness to consolidate cooperation to expand food security efforts further and enhance the exchange of experience and trade among the countries of the South.
She reviewed the government's priorities and initiatives to enhance food security efforts, especially through the NWFE Program, the link between water, food and energy projects, along with the Presidential Initiative for Integrated Development of the Egyptian Rural "Haya Karima".
For his part, the FAO Director-General congratulated the Minister on the success of hosting and organizing COP27, noting the importance of supporting the efforts of countries in building their resilience and facing the ongoing challenges in the field of food security in cooperation with international funding institutions.
Regional Director of the World Food Programme
Al-Mashat discussed with Menghestab Haile, WFP Regional Director for Southern Africa, joint cooperation efforts and regional cooperation programmes to promote food security on the African continent, the exchange of experience and best practices in development cooperation efforts, and the transfer of Egyptian experience in development cooperation efforts to the African continent.
Italian Deputy Minister for Foreign & International Cooperation
Al-Mashat met with Edmund Cirielli, Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, where she reviewed bilateral relations with the Italian side and bilateral cooperation efforts, stressing the eagerness of the Egyptian state led by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, to maximize relations with the Italian side and build on the historical relations extended over the past decades.
The Minister of International Cooperation also touched on the development cooperation efforts at the level of debt swap, in which the implementation of 3 tranches since 2001 worth $ 350 million was implemented, pointing out the government's eagerness to implement the fourth tranche of the debt swap program in light of stimulating relations between the two sides and strengthening food security efforts through the NWFE platform.
For his part, the Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of working with Egypt on issues of common interest and economic development of mutual benefit in the Mediterranean region.
Chairman of the World Food Security Committee
In another context, Al-Mashat met with Ambassador Gabriel Ferrero, Chairman of the Committee of World Food Security, an intergovernmental body responsible for reviewing and monitoring food and nutrition security policies, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Food Programme, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
During the meeting, the Minister discussed enhancing joint cooperation efforts to support the actions taken by the Government of Egypt to enhance food security and consolidate cooperation among relevant parties in order to stimulate food security policies in Egypt.
Ambassadors of Côte d'Ivoire and Mali at the United Nations in Rome
Al-Mashat met with Aly Coulibaly, Ambassador to FAO, IFAD and WFP, and M. Seydou Cissé, Ambassador of the State of Côte d'Ivoire to FAO, in the presence of Dina Saleh, the Regional Director of the Near East, North Africa and Europe Division (NEN) in IFAD, where they discussed strengthening cooperation between the two countries within the framework of South-South cooperation, and transferring Egypt's development expertise and experience with regard to development cooperation efforts and close relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the IFAD to African countries to enhance joint cooperation and regional integration.