US experts stress importance of technological file in Egyptian-US talks
Egypt-USA, Economics, 3/25/2000

US information technology experts stressed the importance of the technological file in Mubarak¹s visit to the US, that started Friday.

"This file will top Mubarak's agenda and would be a cornerstone in his meetings with the representatives of the American companies working in that domain," they said.

US Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer said that the transfer of American information technology (IT) would be one of the important topics tackled during the President's visit.

"Mubarak would inspect some of the advanced technology industries during his visit to Virginia State," they said.

Kurtzer hoped the visit would further develop Egypt-US partnership relations and increase the number of joint ventures between Egyptian and US companies.

Egypt-US joint technological and scientific program coordinator V. Alexander said that cooperation between both countries in sciences and technology would take a big lump of President Mubarak's talks in the US.

Egypt-US partnership, started in September 1994 with four off shoot subcommittees on economic policy, trade, and investment, sciences and technology, sustainable development and environment, and development of education and human resources.

Communications and Information Minister Ahmed Nazif said Mubarak¹s visit will involve signing several important accords with the American IT companies.

"Mubarak will also attend a symposium held by PS net company for communications and information services," he said, adding that this company is expected to share in executing the national Egyptian plan for communications.

Both sides would also discuss giving training courses to Egyptian youth in the software industry. On her party, Alexander told the ME News Agency that the scientific and technological cooperation agreement signed by both countries in 1995 within the framework of the joint partnership program aims at backing strong relations between the scientific communities in Egypt and US in the interest of both countries.

"Under the scientific and technological agreement, a joint fund was established. The US and Egypt contribute each with $ 1 million a year to the fund," Alexander said.

A joint council also meets every year in Cairo and Washington alternately. The council¹s upcoming meeting in Washington in May will look into extending the scientific and technological program to several other years before the program ends in August 2000.

The program gave 25 scholarships in 1997 to Egyptian and American researchers, 31 scholarships in 1998, and 25 in 1999.

"In 1999 and after four years from the program implementation, the joint council received 165 projects, in 1998, only 105 projects were received," Alexander said.

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