Dr. Rania Al-Mashat Holds a Series of Bilateral Meetings with Government Officials, International Institutions, and the Private Sector During the Spring Meetings in Washington

H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation and Egypt's Governor at the World Bank, held a series of bilateral meetings with government officials, international financing institutions, and think tanks during her participation in the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, USA.

 

 

Partnership with the World Bank

 

 

The Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation met with Dr. Fadia Saadah, Regional Director for Human Development in the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank.

 

The meeting reviewed developments in efforts to increase investments in human capital in Egypt. The World Bank team presented a presentation on the state of human development in Egypt and the most important recommendations identified by the World Bank in this area, particularly regarding the implementation of the Comprehensive Health Insurance Project.

 

In a related context, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat met with Mr. Pablo Saavedra, Vice President of the World Bank. 

The meeting followed up on the implementation of the National Economic Development Narrative and the efforts made with the World Bank—as a knowledge partner—to increase growth and employment rates.

 

The meeting also touched on the ongoing cooperation with the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) to expand guarantees in the local market for both the public and private sectors, thereby enhancing direct foreign investment.

 

 

Lebanese Minister of Finance

 

Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation and Egypt's Governor at the World Bank Group, also met with Mr. Yassine Jaber, the Lebanese Minister of Finance.

The two ministers discussed ways to strengthen Egyptian-Lebanese economic relations, during the participation in the Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund held from April 21-26 in Washington, USA.

 

During the meeting, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat emphasized Egypt's commitment to advance relations with the Republic of Lebanon at all levels, highlighting the deep-rooted Egyptian-Lebanese relations that span history.

 

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat noted the Egyptian government's commitment to strengthening Egyptian-Lebanese economic relations and exchanging expertise in multilateral cooperation.

 

H.E. Minister Al-Mashat affirmed Egypt's commitment to exchanging Egyptian experiences and providing the necessary support to Lebanon at both the economic and reconstruction levels, in light of the current cooperation and coordination between the political leaderships and governments of the two countries.

 

Djibouti’s Minister of Economy and Finance

 

Dr. Rania Al-Mashat also met with Mr. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, Djibouti’s Minister of Economy and Finance, to discuss avenues of joint cooperation between the two countries, as part of her bilateral meetings with multilateral and bilateral development partners.

 

During the meeting, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat reiterated Egypt's appreciation of its strong ties with the Republic of Djibouti, pointing to the recent visit of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and its fruitful outcomes, which underscore the depth and strength of the relations between the two countries.

 

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat also highlighted that Egypt is working with development partners to enhance South-South cooperation and the ongoing efforts to transfer Egyptian expertise in launching the "NWFE" program to African countries, and to enhance technical support. She noted that "NWFE" is an integrated platform that combines mitigation and adaptation projects to address the repercussions of climate change, achieves water, food, and energy security, and works to provide innovative financing tools and fair financing mechanisms to drive green investment in Egypt.

For his part, Mr. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh expressed his country's appreciation for the relations with the Republic of Egypt and interest in Egypt's experience in launching the "NWFE" program, which is an experience in enhancing climate action and increasing investments.

 

 

Center for Global Development

 

The Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation and Egypt's Governor at the World Bank Group met with Mr. Masood Ahmed, President emeritus of the Center for Global Development (CGD), to discuss ways to enhance future cooperation.

 

During the meeting, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat reviewed Egypt's efforts towards economic and private sector reforms and development. In this context, the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation has prepared a draft document of the Economic and Social Development Plan for the fiscal year 2025/2026 (according to the Medium-Term Budgetary Framework 2025/2026 -- 2028/2029).

 

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat also mentioned that the government is working to stimulate private sector participation by improving the investment and economic growth environment, attracting new investments, and stimulating economic activities, which contributes to enhancing the role of the private sector in driving economic growth in Egypt. The new fiscal policies demonstrate a balance between reducing government spending and providing a favorable environment for the private sector.  

The two sides discussed developments in the global economic situation and its impact on development in developing countries and emerging economies.

 

World Economic Forum

 

The Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation held a meeting with Ms. Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum. The two sides discussed developments in joint cooperation between Egypt and the World Economic Forum.

 

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat affirmed Egypt's appreciation for the deep-rooted relations with the Forum, as a global platform that brings together representatives of governments, the private sector, and various stakeholders, to enhance discussions on addressing economic and development challenges and stimulate effective policymaking. She outlined the strategic cooperation with the Forum in various fields, including women's empowerment, green transformation, and the future of economic growth, and utilizing various Forum platforms since 2020 to promote economic reforms and green transformation efforts in Egypt.

 

 

Lazard Frères & Co.

 

The Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation also met with Mr. Thomas Lambert, Managing Director of Lazard Frères & Co., one of the leading global companies in consulting and asset management. The two sides discussed enhancing joint cooperation efforts.

 

During the meeting, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat reviewed the strong momentum in Egypt to empower the private sector and increase its participation in economic development efforts, both through the measures taken by the state in terms of structural reforms and improving the business environment, as well as enhancing public-private partnerships. She highlighted the partnership recently signed with the International Finance Corporation to offer a number of Egyptian airports for partnership with the private sector.