Sahar Nasr praises Egypt-EU relations

Minister of International Cooperation Sahar Nasr praised relations between Egypt and the European Union, saying the EU plays a positive role as a key development partner of Egypt's.

Addressing a joint press conference with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, currently visiting Egypt, the minister referred to the EU's serious wish to boost relations with Egypt at all levels particularly economic ones.

Mogherini arrived in Egypt despite all the current circumstances the region is going through to assert strategic ties between the EU and Egypt, she said during the press conference held following the signing of two 120-million-euro agreements with the EU.

All Egypt's development partners are keen on supporting it and promoting the government's program, she said, adding that it is necessary that social protection goes alongside economic reform.

She expressed satisfaction over signing the two grant agreements particularly as they pertain to upgrading youth and honing their skills for a better future.

She voiced confidence that the Egyptian government would work on implementing the two agreements efficiently within the framework of improving the living standards of citizens.

The two sides probed increasing cooperation based on a memorandum of understanding on the new unified support between the two sides whose funding reached between 311 and 380 million euros.

A number of programs and projects that serve Egypt's priorities including social protection, good governance and transparency, improving work environment and the living standards of citizens and protecting the environment will be implemented.

Mogherini is one of the EU's supporters of Egypt and what has previously been agreed upon was implemented swiftly, Nasr said, adding that the general development aim of the project is economic empowerment of youths through creating job opportunities and honing their skills, facilitating administrative procedures in the small and micro-sized enterprises sector. The ministry aims that youths become investors and not just job- seekers, she said.

The school nutrition project, to be covered by the signed grants, will include 500,000 pupils upon directives of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, which will play a key role in improving health care and easing the burden on families. School nutrition includes daily light meals for children that provide 25% of their daily nutritional needs.

Some 150,000 families will be trained on various activities that provide them with income to improve their living standards, she said.

She added that she discussed with the EU officials expanding the project once again to cover all governorates given its positive impact on children in terms of better performance and concentration.

The project will give priority to government schools in Upper Egypt and Sinai particularly in villages, she said, adding that the children will get dates and milk in their school meals and their families will receive a box of groceries and this will help improve their income and avoid child labor.

The other agreement will focus on youth, she said, referring to training them on using technology in marketing and financial management based needs in sectors that provide job opportunities.

She added that she agreed with Mogherini on the need to link funding with developing skills and improving commodities with special focus on needy governorates.

Part of the agreement includes encouraging youth to export to Europe especially traditional handicrafts which are highly popular, she added.