H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, received a high-level delegation from the Japanese Parliament during its first visit to Egypt in seven years, to discuss avenue to strengthen future cooperation between the two countries.
The parliamentary delegation included Mr. Oi Satoshi, Member of the House of Councillors of the Japanese Parliament representing the Liberal Democratic Party, Dr. Yokoyama Shinichi, Member of the House of Councillors representing the Komeito Party, Sakura Uchikoshi, Member of the House of Councillors representing the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party, and Independents; Mr. Yamaguchi Nobuhiro, Senior Research Assistant at the Research Office of the Standing Committee on the Environment; and Mr. Nimori Yohei, Researcher at the Research Office of the Standing Committee on the Budget. The delegation was accompanied by H.E. Mr. Iwai Fumio, Ambassador of Japan to Egypt, and representatives of the Japanese Embassy in Cairo.
H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat expressed the deep appreciation of the Egyptian people for Japanese culture, traditions, and its distinguished model of work, discipline, and productivity, explaining that Egypt and Japan celebrated last year more than 70 years of diplomatic relations, and highlighting the close cooperation between the two countries through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which culminated in the preparation of a joint report documenting the most prominent development projects implemented with Japanese support in Egypt.
H.E. affirmed that Egyptian–Japanese cooperation covers strategic sectors with a direct impact on citizens’ lives, including education, health, and sustainable transport, in addition to tourism, antiquities, and culture, foremost among them the Egyptian Opera House and the Grand Egyptian Museum, explaining that these projects not only support the Egyptian economy, but also contribute to achieving global benefit as “Global Public Goods.”
H.E. added that what distinguishes the partnership with Japan is not limited to the volume of cooperation, but extends to its quality, through a focus on sustainability, continuous technical support, institutional capacity building, and the design of programs that ensure the continuity of projects even after the end of financing periods, expressing her pride in this exemplary partnership.
H.E. pointed out that the Grand Egyptian Museum represents the largest model of development cooperation between two countries in the fields of culture and archaeology worldwide, as the cooperation was not limited to construction works, but also included the restoration, conservation, and preservation of monuments, reflecting the depth of Egyptian–Japanese cooperation in both quantity and quality.
The Minister affirmed the State’s keenness to enhance investments, explaining that cooperation programs with JICA include financing directed to support Japanese and non-Japanese private sector companies in Egypt, in addition to the support provided to the State budget within the framework of the economic reform program, which contributes to promoting investments and increasing employment rates in light of regional and international challenges.
H.E. also noted that cooperation extends to vital areas such as the Universal Health Insurance System, affirming that the Japanese experience is a key source of inspiration in this regard, and that Egypt adopts a multi-stakeholder partnership model whereby the Japanese partner works alongside other international institutions such as the World Bank and France to implement projects with broad impact on Egyptian society.
H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat further pointed to the existence of a precise governance framework for Japanese grants and concessional financing, ensuring the optimal use of financing and the monitoring of its implementation in a manner that achieves the highest levels of efficiency and transparency.
At the conclusion of the meeting, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat affirmed that the Egyptian economy continues to achieve growth rates exceeding 5% despite global and regional crises, with macroeconomic stability and rising private and foreign investments, expressing her aspiration for further direct Japanese investments in Egypt, in addition to continued development cooperation, welcoming the delegation and wishing them a successful visit to Egypt, which welcomes its friends and partners.
For their part, members of the Japanese delegation, representing multiple political parties, expressed their great appreciation for Egyptian–Japanese relations, and conveyed their thanks for the fruitful development cooperation between the two sides, as well as the effective use of Japanese development cooperation resources in Egypt, which has been reflected in tangible results of development cooperation projects, particularly in the education sector through the Egyptian–Japanese Schools, noting their aspiration to deepen this cooperation in a manner that enhances stability and prosperity not only in Egypt, but globally.
The delegation commended the results of the field visits to a number of projects, affirming the importance of thinking in terms of long-term cooperation and building upon existing successes, and expressing their aspiration to expand the areas of future partnership.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation – Egypt.
