Al-Mashat, USAID Director Discuss Cooperation Strategy, Development Partnerships

The Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat met with Mrs. Leslie Reed, the Mission Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Egypt, to discuss the joint cooperation portfolio and progress in ongoing projects across sectors, and the development cooperation strategy between Egypt and the USA for the next 5 years (2021- 2025).

This meeting comes within the framework of the Ministry’s readiness to hold periodic meetings with multilateral and bilateral development partners to follow up on the portfolio of ongoing projects, to resolve any obstacles that arise during implementation, and to coordinate with relevant government entities to ensure desired results.

Al-Mashat discussed the results of meetings that took place at the technical level regarding areas of joint cooperation and the inclusion of the private sector in development efforts; all within the framework of the Government of Egypt’s development priorities. The Minister applauded the role played by the USAID Egypt office in facilitating discussions with USAID in Washington to explore new areas that can support the private sector engagement in the country.

Al-Mashat also shed light on the two working groups of the Ministry and the USAID for international development within the framework of strengthening partnerships for empowering women; in light of the “Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator” that was launched by the Ministry of International Cooperation, the National Council for Women (NCW), World Economic Forum (WEF), and the private sector. Partnerships that are yet to be agreed on in the current year were also discussed; including the education, higher education, trade, investment, and health sectors.

The Minister commended on the strategic cooperation between Egypt and the USA through the USAID; focusing on the advancement of efforts to achieve development within the framework of the country's priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the coming period, the bilateral cooperation will help accelerate the pace of development to achieve a resilient and sustainable recovery.

Al-Mashat added that she aims to strengthen cooperation with the USAID through Multi-stakeholder platforms, as the Ministry holds several meetings that include all multilateral and bilateral development partners, relevant entities and the private sector to streamline the various agendas and frameworks to achieve integration in development efforts.

Mrs. Leslie Reed, the Mission Director of the USAID Egypt expressed her appreciation for the Government of Egypt’s efforts in pushing towards sustainable recovery. She also applauded the role played by the Ministry of International Cooperation in ensuring transformative change in development and in setting a clear trajectory for international partnerships.

The partnership between Egypt and the USAID dates back to 1978, and the total development cooperation portfolio amounts to over $30 billion covering various sectors that represent development priorities for the Government of Egypt; including health, population, education, and employment. The cooperation portfolio in 2014 had reached over $900 million in priority projects in education, higher education, governance, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), tourism, agriculture and private sector.

In 2020, the Ministry of International Cooperation and the USAID signed 7 grant agreements worth $112.5 million to develop the country's priority sectors. The results of these agreements will be reflected in the improvement of the people’s livelihoods.

Last October, the Ministry of International Cooperation welcomed John Parsa, President of the USAID, during his visit to Egypt. This was his first visit, since he assumed his role, to the Middle East and Africa region to discuss joint cooperation files, in the presence of Senior Advisor at the US National Security Council, Sarah McCain; and Jonathan Cohen, the US Ambassador to Egypt; and the USAID Mission Director.