EC to offer 104 million euros for improving technical, higher education

"The European Commission approved a financial package of 104 million euros within the 2002/2003 plan to improve trade and technical and higher education in Egypt," the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Fayza Abul Naga, said.

ÊÊÊ "20 million euros of the sum will be allocated for technical support to the Foreign Trade Ministry and its affiliated bodies, while 33 million euros will be earmarked to boost the technical and vocational training programs," Fayza Abul Naga said in statements yesterday.

ÊÊÊ The EC also allocated 40 million euros to upgrade the performance of the customs department and development of exports, in addition to 11 million euros to develop higher education.

ÊÊÊ "These four fields are part of eight programs the EC agreed to finance with a total amount of 351 million euros between 2002 and 2004," Abul Naga said.

ÊÊÊ This is the first cooperation program to be implemented by the EC with one of the south Mediterranean countries.