Maher, EU ambassador discuss promoting bilateral cooperation

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher and EU ambassador Ian Burg signed Monday a memorandum reaffirming an agreement signed between the two sides on a national guiding program for Egypt.

Burg said bilateral cooperation between both sides would focus on a number of priorities, including putting into effect the Egypt-EU association agreement that was recently ratified by People Assembly.

The EU diplomat said that 60 million euros would be earmarked to facilitate exporting and importing and customs procedures as well as improving services offered by the government to exporters.

He added that other 80 million euros would be earmarked to re-structure the Egyptian textile industry.

The priorities also include an 11 million euro programme for enhancing Egypt-EU cooperation in the field of higher education, Burg said.

He highlighted a comprehensive programme for local development in south Sinai worth of 64 million euros.

For supporting the social development and the activities of the civil society institutions, there would be a programme worth of 20 million euros, he added.