Egyptian natural gas exported to France
The French ambassador in Cairo, Francois Dubvier, said that the natural gas agreement between Egypt and France, will achieve not less than 9 billion Euro over the next twenty years as Egypt's share of the gas market in France will amount to %10 annually.
The ambassador added - in a special interview with "Al-Aalam Al-Youm" daily - that the protocol of renewing the first track of the underground metro-railway will be signed this week. The French side will give 40 million Euro for that, he said
The French diplomat affirmed that France will do its best to win the deal of implementing the third underground line in Cairo, despite competition by several other parties. He said that France has been leading in the underground project field for twenty years now, and hopes to stay for another twenty years in the same business.
On the other hand, Dubvier said that France will offer soft loans to develop aviation school in Embaba, near Giza.
Asked about the French investments in Egypt which President Mubarak probed during his latest visit to Paris, the French ambassador said that private sector in France can enhance its investments in Egypt based on firm well studied reasons:
1. that Egypt is distinguished by significant geographical and political position, as it belongs to the Arab, Mediterranean as well as to the African worlds.
2. that Egypt has a huge market of about 70 million people who will amount to 100 million by the next quarter of this century.
3. that Egypt currently enjoys political stability and adopts well coordinated Egyptian-French policies that provide proper climate for the French private sector to activate in Egypt.
As for the obstacles impeding the Egyptian exports to France, the ambassador said that Egypt is undoubtedly in need of boosting its exports. He added that the EU markets constitute the largest for Egypt and they are just next door to it. He went on to say that over the last two years, Egyptian exports to the French and the European markets surged up.
The French envoy also said that what lacks many Egyptian exporters is to study the best ways to get smoothly into the foreign markets. "We are ready to offer help in this field. We can show Egyptian exporting companies how to sell their products to other markets, including the French one" he said.