Egypt’s Pm Meets Korean International Cooperation Agency Head

Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly held a meeting at the government headquarters in the New Administrative Capital with Mr. Chang Won Sam, President of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and his accompanying delegation.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, and Mr. Kim Young Hyun, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Egypt.

The Prime Minister welcomed Mr. Chang Won Sam, noting the significance of his visit as the first by a KOICA president to Egypt since 2009.

This reflects the mutual desire to enhance political and economic ties between the two nations.

Dr. Madbouly emphasized Korea’s status as one of Egypt’s distinguished partners in Asia, highlighting the exemplary collaboration between the two countries through pioneering projects aligned with Egypt’s developmental goals for sustainable progress.

He expressed gratitude for Korea’s recognition of Egypt as one of five priority partners in its official development assistance (ODA) program, reinforcing the importance of the partnership and shared commitment to sustainable development.

Dr. Madbouly congratulated the Korean government on the success of the 2024 Korea-Africa Summit, underscoring Egypt’s strong interest in further cooperation with Korea in priority developmental areas for both Egypt and African nations.

He described the Egypt-Korea partnership as a model for developmental collaboration, helping address shared challenges.

The Prime Minister commended the signing of the second phase of the project to enhance educational capabilities and link universities with industry at Beni Suef Technological University, valued at $8 million.

He noted that this phase focuses on integrating innovative, industry-specific curricula in fields like mechatronics, information and communication technology, electric vehicles, and railway technology.

He also highlighted KOICA’s project portfolio in Egypt, amounting to approximately $100 million, supporting development initiatives in cooperation with the Ministry of Planning.

These projects include technological education, youth employment, digital transformation, and gender equality. Dr. Madbouly praised KOICA’s contributions to capacity building for Egyptian government officials through the Capacity Improvement and Advancement for Tomorrow (CIAT) program.

He noted the significant impact of these training programs on Egypt’s governance and administration capabilities and expressed eagerness to continue fruitful collaboration in knowledge exchange and capacity building.

The Prime Minister also looked forward to expanding joint development projects with KOICA in alignment with Egypt’s comprehensive development priorities.

Mr. Chang Won Sam expressed gratitude for the warm reception during his first visit to Egypt as KOICA’s president since the establishment of its Cairo office in 2009.

He explained that his visit aims to evaluate ongoing projects and consult with Egyptian officials to enhance cooperation in key areas.

Mr. Chang commended Egypt’s developmental achievements, highlighting its ability to overcome economic challenges in recent years while maintaining a significant role in the regional and continental spheres.

He noted KOICA’s expanded focus on African development programs, emphasizing the agency’s desire for Egypt to play a central role in achieving its development vision for the continent.

The KOICA president reviewed the agency’s projects in Egypt, emphasizing the strategic nature of their partnership.

He highlighted that KOICA’s support for Egypt has reached $90 million by 2023, with six new projects planned for 2024 in areas such as economic empowerment, capacity building, knowledge exchange, climate action, and sustainability.

Dr. Rania Al-Mashat commended KOICA’s role and expressed her aspiration for final approval of joint projects planned for 2025.

She emphasized the potential for collaboration in green energy, advanced technology, education reform, and smart infrastructure development.

Dr. Al-Mashat underscored the importance of leveraging Korea’s expertise in digital transformation and innovation to align with Egypt’s Vision 2030.

She also called for increased Korean private sector participation in Egypt to implement projects through public-private partnerships and foster broader African cooperation.