Egypt and the European Union have signed a grant agreement of $40-million to support food security efforts in Egypt.
The signing ceremony was held on Thursday in the presence of International Cooperation Minister Rania Mashat, Supply Minister Ali Moselhi and Agriculture Minister Sayed el Quosair, president of the Foreign Ministry’s office of the Egyptian-European partnership Amr Abo Eish, the commissioner of the European Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, Ambassador Christian Berger, President of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) Martino Melli and a host of respective officials of bodies concerned.
Under the AICS-implemented deal, the AICS will cooperate with the Agriculture Ministry to support the production of wheat and grains with €25 million and complete the information control system of wheat in Egypt with €15 million.
The grant comes as part of the 100-million-dollar EU food security support program that was signed with Egypt last year.
Mashat said the deal comes as part of Egyptian State’s efforts in cooperation with bilateral and multilateral international partners to face food security challenges resulting from the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict in cooperation with bilateral and multilateral international partners.
Talking about efforts taken by Egypt to face food security challenges, she said Egypt has signed many program agreements since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict to secure food, including a 500-million-dollar food security program with the WB and another 271-million-dollar program with the African Development Bank.
In tandem with these efforts, the ministry launched the national platform for green projects (NWFE) that aims accelerating the national climate agenda, she said. The Platform provides opportunities for mobilizing climate finance and private investments to support Egypt’s green transition.
She lauded fruitful cooperation between Egypt and the EU as well as the Italian side in the food security, education, agriculture and small and medium enterprises.
Supply Minister Ali El Moselhi said the Egyptian State has taken many steps to achieve food security over the past eight years through reclaiming more lands and cultivating strategic crops.
He noted that the conflict between Egypt and Ukraine caused a sharp rise in the price of commodities and energy and transport costs, forcing all international parties to cooperate to achieve food security.
MENA
