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Egypt and Germany have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation as part of a growing partnership aimed at driving sustainable development and economic transformation.
Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, welcomed Svenja Schulze, Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, during a high-level meeting in New Alamein.
The visit marks Schulze’s first official trip to Egypt and follows discussions held at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (Ff4D) in Seville, Spain.
“Egypt appreciates the strategic partnership with Germany, which reflects our shared commitment to development goals,” said Al-Mashat.
“This visit represents a turning point in our cooperation, reinforcing our shared vision for sustainable growth.”
The two ministers reviewed progress on joint development projects and explored new financing mechanisms, particularly in light of global calls for greater international support for emerging economies.
Discussions also focused on the implementation of the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), aimed at boosting foreign direct investment in Egypt’s private sector.
Highlighting the outcomes of the Ff4D conference, Al-Mashat emphasized the urgency of acting on the UN task force’s debt reform recommendations, including extending debt maturities, increasing liquidity through multilateral institutions, and expanding eligibility criteria within the G20 Common Framework.
Al-Mashat praised the success of the Egypt-Germany debt swap programme, which has resulted in €340 million being redirected to fund developmental initiatives across vital sectors such as education, technical training, healthcare, and renewable energy.
She noted that the current €100 million tranche (2024–2026) will also allocate €50 million toward the local component of Egypt’s “Nouwfi” energy programme, specifically linking ACWA Power’s wind projects with 1,100 MW capacity to the national grid.
The ministers also discussed a €118 million financial cooperation agreement signed on 25 May 2025, supporting projects including comprehensive technical education, the creation of 25 Centers of Excellence, and other development priorities.
In line with Egypt’s national development strategy, Al-Mashat announced that Egypt, in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is working on launching the first national platform to mobilize investment and technical support in the industrial sector.
This platform mirrors the successful Nouwfi model and aims to boost local manufacturing.
The meeting also addressed regional cooperation.
“We’re eager to enhance South-South and triangular cooperation through German partnerships to share Egypt’s development expertise with other emerging economies,” said Al-Mashat. She also expressed interest in expanding cooperation with Germany in water-related projects under the Nouwfi programme.
For her part, the German Minister praised the long-standing strategic ties and expressed optimism about future collaboration.
“We look forward to building on the strong foundations of the Egyptian-German partnership to navigate regional and global challenges together,” Schulze stated.
Both sides concluded with a review of their €1.6 billion cooperation portfolio, which covers high-priority sectors such as energy, climate, water, sanitation, migration, waste management, and private sector development—all supported through mechanisms including the debt swap programme.
