● Al-Mashat reviews the role of the Ministry of International Cooperation in strengthening international partnerships through the framework of international cooperation and development financing and the importance of multilateral cooperation in facing development challenges.
● Madagascar Minister of Foreign Affairs: We look forward to working with Egypt in the fields of human development, education, health, infrastructure and food security.
The Minister of International Cooperation, H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar, Rafaravavitafika Rasata, during her participation in the Italia-Africa Summit in Rome. They discussed ways to support and enhance joint cooperation in economic and trade aspects between the two countries, as well as exchanging experiences and training human cadres.
The two sides discussed the possibility of establishing a joint committee between the two countries, as Al-Mashat reviewed the most important results of the joint committees recently held with various countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, and Azerbaijan, and the role of the joint committees as a mechanism of economic diplomacy to enhance joint cooperation efforts between Egypt and other countries.
Al-Mashat stressed the keenness to strengthen joint cooperation between Egypt and Madagascar in various fields, especially trade exchange, provision of technical support and capacity building, noting the importance of strengthening the Egyptian partnership with Madagascar and continuing to transfer expertise through the courses and grants that Egypt provides and contributes to building human cadres in Madagascar, in light of Egypt’s great experience and its keenness to transfer that experience to other countries in the continent.
Al-Mashat also referred to the launch of the strategy for cooperation with African countries in the field of development work under the title “South-South,” pointing to the establishment of the African Training Center, which is the beginning of development cooperation with many countries.
H.E. stressed that the new strategy will allow African countries to share major development work experiences, such as the “Haya Karima” initiative.
Al-Mashat stressed Egypt’s support and assistance for real development efforts in Africa, referring to the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant and Dam, which is implemented by the Egyptian alliance of the Arab Contractors and Elsewedy Electric companies on the Rufiji River in Tanzania.
Furthermore, H.E. reviewed the role of the Ministry of International Cooperation in strengthening international partnerships through the framework of international cooperation and development financing, and the importance of multilateral cooperation in facing development challenges and advancing areas of joint cooperation and technical support in various fields, in a way that enhances Egypt’s development vision and the Egyptian government’s work program “Egypt takes off,” as well as the National Climate Change Strategy 2050, and other sectoral strategies.
H.E. also reviewed the country’s efforts to implement the economic reform program, which strengthened the Egyptian economy’s ability to grow and achieve financial and monetary stability, and to complement the measures with structural reform programs, to promote comprehensive and sustainable growth, and the state’s efforts to localize industry in many vital fields. This is in addition to stimulating private sector participation in development as a key partner in achieving the sustainable development agenda.
Al-Mashat called on private sector companies in Madagascar to increase cooperation and exchange of knowledge, and to sign memorandums of understanding in various fields, especially with regard to water resources, explaining that the relations of the Arab Republic of Egypt with development partners are based on three main factors, which are inclusion for all groups and the empowerment of women, youth, digital transformation, sustainability and green transformation. H.E. pointed out the three main factors that have also come to govern the direction of emerging companies and even the global economy, in light of the pursuit of comprehensive and sustainable growth and recovery.
Al-Mashat stressed that the health sector is one of the main sectors that the state seeks to develop to achieve development, and it is also one of the main SDGs, noting that the government is moving forward towards developing the health care sector through national efforts made to implement Universal Health Insurance System, and strengthening the sector’s infrastructure.
Al-Mashat also added that the Ministry of International Cooperation has mapped development financing with the SDGs, and the ministry’s current portfolio includes 32 projects in the health care sector worth $1.4 billion, with the aim of achieving SDG 3: Good health and well-being, explaining that the Ministry is working to enhance joint work with development partners to integrate the state’s efforts regarding the comprehensive health insurance project.
Al-Mashat pointed to Egypt's great success in eliminating Virus C and the presidential initiatives in this context, noting the Egyptian government’s keenness to transfer its experience in this field to eliminate the virus in the countries of the African continent.
Al-Mashat reviewed the major presidential initiative to achieve integrated development in the Egyptian countryside, "Haya Karima,” which is the largest culmination of national efforts aimed at investing in human capital, as it seeks to improve living conditions and improve the health, social, and economic aspects of more than 60 million citizens, and develop the infrastructure for rural areas.
Al-Mashat touched on the NWFE program, which represents a comprehensive methodology for financing the climate agenda fairly, which constitutes an example of a practical model for the concept of platforms for mobilizing climate investments based on countries’ priorities.
Al-Mashat said that by adopting a practical and realistic approach, the NWFE program bridges the gap related to the lack of investable projects through the presence of a selected group of priority projects in the fields of water, food, energy, and sustainable transportation, noting that this platform relies in its work on 3 main factors; government commitment, clarity regarding projects, and credibility with the international community.
For her part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar expressed her country's desire to establish a closer relationship with Egypt to increase cooperation in light of the increasing global challenges, in addition to enhancing cooperation in various fields, especially infrastructure.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar stressed their aspiration to work with Egypt, in light of her country's main priorities, in the areas of human development, education, health, infrastructure, food security, in addition to industrialization to increase local production.
It is worth noting that Egypt is working on parallel plans to strengthen mutual relations with most countries of the African continent by implementing huge projects under the umbrella of the African Union. In September 2019, Egypt launched an initiative to screen one million African citizens to detect hepatitis C virus and provide treatment for patients, and is also working to implement several infrastructure projects.