H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, holds extensive bilateral meetings with representatives of several EU governments on the sidelines of the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels

The meetings included representatives from France, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Slovakia

 

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, holds extensive bilateral meetings with representatives of several EU governments on the sidelines of the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels

European government representatives commend Egypt’s pivotal role in enhancing the security and stability of the Middle East.

H.E. Al-Mashat: International partnerships are a key pillar of the National Narrative for Economic Development to promote joint investments, localize industry, and expand foreign trade.

The Investment Guarantee Mechanism provides a financial platform to encourage European companies’ investments in Egypt – inviting them to explore available investment opportunities.

Discussions addressed the future steps to activate the EUR 4 billion Financial Cooperation Agreement with France.

Strengthening the ongoing Egyptian–Danish partnership in renewable energy, green transition, and technical cooperation in the electricity sector.

Reviewing preparations for the first session of the Egyptian–Slovak Joint Economic Commission.

 

 

As part of her continued participation in the Global Gateway Forum organized by the European Commission in Brussels, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, held a series of intensive bilateral meetings with representatives of several EU governments — namely France, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Slovakia.

 

The meetings featured extensive discussions on enhancing bilateral relations, expanding joint investments, and increasing trade exchange.

H.E. Al-Mashat reviewed the key pillars of the National Narrative for Economic Development (NNED) and presented its executive summary in English to the European partners.

 

She also highlighted the positive economic developments taking place in Egypt and referred to the Investment Guarantee Mechanism, which provides a financing platform to stimulate European investments in Egypt, inviting companies to explore the country’s growing investment opportunities.

 

The meetings also addressed developments in the Middle East, where European representatives praised Egypt’s pivotal role in promoting regional security and stability and its efforts to end the war in Gaza.

They affirmed the importance of the strategic partnership between Egypt and Europe and emphasized the need to continue joint efforts to deepen integration and expand trade and investment relations.

 

 

Egyptian–French Relations

 

H.E. Al-Mashat met with Ms. Sandra Kassab, Director of the Africa Department at the French Development Agency (AFD), to discuss ways to enhance future cooperation and follow up on the implementation of ongoing development projects.

 

During the meeting, H.E. Al-Mashat reviewed the long-standing partnership between Egypt and France and the AFD’s role in supporting the private sector, creating new job opportunities, and advancing the transition towards a green economy.

 

She emphasized that Egypt is open to attracting foreign investments that foster innovation and sustainable growth, with a focus on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and enhancing knowledge exchange.

 

The meeting also discussed the Joint Declaration issued on October 2, 2025, in the presence of the French Ambassador to Cairo, H.E. Eric Chevallier, which reaffirmed the strategic partnership between Egypt and France.

 

Under this declaration, France committed to making available a total of EUR 4 billion (EUR 800 million from the AFD and EUR 3.2 billion from the French Treasury) to support Egypt’s priority projects in the areas of human development, sustainable infrastructure, and climate resilience, aligned with the NWFE Initiative (Nexus of Water, Food and Energy).

 

 

H.E. Al-Mashat also referred to the outcomes of the official visit of H.E. President Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, to Egypt in April 2025, during which nine financing agreements were signed for development projects in the transport, energy, and housing sectors, marking the advancement of Egyptian–French cooperation to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

 

 

 

Egyptian–Danish Relations

 

H.E. Al-Mashat also met with H.E. Ms. Lina Gandløse Hansen, State Secretary for Trade and Investment of the Kingdom of Denmark, to discuss the latest developments in Egyptian–Danish relations, in light of recent high-level visits between the two countries.

 

During the meeting, H.E. Al-Mashat affirmed the strength and depth of economic relations between Egypt and Denmark, which have witnessed continuous growth in recent years.

She noted that bilateral trade exceeded USD 290 million in 2024, with a noticeable increase in Egyptian exports of textiles, agricultural, and chemical products, while machinery, pharmaceuticals, and food products topped Denmark’s exports to Egypt.

 

H.E. Al-Mashat pointed out that Denmark is a key partner for Egypt in several strategic sectors, including renewable energy, agriculture, healthcare, and maritime transport, explaining that these partnerships help promote innovation and sustainable development.

She referred to the Joint Declaration signed during the visit of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to Copenhagen in December 2024, which elevated bilateral relations to the level of a strategic partnership, alongside the launch of the Egyptian–Danish Business Council and the signing of several MoUs in clean energy and industrial investment.

 

The Minister confirmed that the Egyptian government is coordinating Denmark’s contribution to the National Platform for Green Projects (NWFE) and praised the successful technical cooperation between Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy and the Danish Energy Agency, describing it as a model for knowledge exchange and collaboration in green transition and energy efficiency.

 

Concluding the meeting, H.E. Al-Mashat praised the investments of Danish companies operating in Egypt — including Maersk, Vestas, Grundfos, Novo Nordisk, and Danfoss — noting that they represent successful models of sustainable investment and development partnership.

She affirmed that Egypt serves as a gateway to African and Arab markets, offering broad opportunities for industrial localization, technology transfer, and clean energy investments.

 

 

 

Egyptian–Swedish Relations

 

In a related context, H.E. Al-Mashat met with Ms. Karin Juhlin, Deputy Minister for International Development Cooperation of Sweden, to discuss prospects for future cooperation between Egypt and Sweden.

 

Both sides affirmed the long-standing economic partnership between the two countries, with bilateral trade exceeding USD 500 million in recent years and Swedish investments in Egypt surpassing USD 1 billion.

 

H.E. Al-Mashat highlighted the role of leading Swedish companies — ABB, Ericsson, Volvo, IKEA, and Electrolux — in modernizing Egypt’s industrial sector and enhancing renewable energy and logistics systems.

She proposed reactivating the Egyptian–Swedish Joint Economic Committee to explore expansion opportunities in green industry, smart transport, digital trade, digital infrastructure, and smart logistics.

 

The Minister noted that 2024 marked the 50th anniversary of Egypt–Sweden development cooperation, celebrated through the Second Egypt–Sweden Economic Forum, held during the visit of the Swedish Minister for International Development and Trade.

The forum witnessed the signing of a Declaration of Intent with the Swedish Development Finance Institution to conduct feasibility studies to improve the stability and efficiency of Egypt’s electricity grid.

 

H.E. Al-Mashat affirmed that Swedish private sector participation has been a cornerstone of bilateral cooperation, creating thousands of jobs, promoting local manufacturing, and advancing technology transfer.

 

 

Egyptian–Dutch Relations

 

H.E. Al-Mashat also held a meeting with Mr. Steven Collet, Deputy Minister for International Cooperation of the Netherlands, and Mr. Marchel Gerrmann, Director of Sustainable Economic Development at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to discuss enhancing bilateral cooperation.

 

H.E. Al-Mashat emphasized that Egypt and the Netherlands share deep-rooted political, cultural, and economic relations, which have recently witnessed remarkable growth and momentum.

She noted that since 1975, the Kingdom of the Netherlands has provided over EUR 407 million in development financing to Egypt, supporting key sectors such as agriculture, irrigation, health, social affairs, transport, electricity, housing, tourism, education, and local development.

 

Regarding trade, H.E. Al-Mashat highlighted that the Netherlands is one of Egypt’s most important European trading partners, with annual bilateral trade reaching approximately EUR 1 billion. Both sides are working to broaden and diversify the scope of trade, and Egypt looks forward to greater Dutch investment in the local market.

 

The meeting also reviewed the implementation progress of the “Orange Corners” program, which supports youth entrepreneurship in Cairo, Assiut, and the Delta region.

Discussions also covered cooperation in water management and climate action, particularly in coastal protection (SPA), through beach nourishment and adaptation measures that enhance coastal resilience in line with climate strategies.

 

 

 

Boskalis (Netherlands)

 

In this regard, H.E. Al-Mashat met with Mr. Mark Verbrugge, Regional Director for the Middle East at Boskalis, to discuss expanding the company’s investments in Egypt, particularly in the water and coastal protection sectors, in light of Egypt’s efforts to create an enabling environment for foreign investments.

 

 

Egyptian–Slovak Relations

 

In another meeting, H.E. Al-Mashat met with H.E. Mr. Rastislav Chovanec, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic, to discuss avenues for future cooperation.

H.E. Al-Mashat commended Slovakia’s growing role within the European Union and its interest in deepening cooperation with Egypt as a gateway to the Middle East and North Africa.

 

The Minister highlighted the potential to diversify and expand bilateral trade, noting that current cooperation covers automotive components, machinery, agro-industrial, and chemical products.

She emphasized Egypt’s interest in increasing its exports of agricultural products, textiles, and pharmaceuticals to Slovakia.

 

H.E. Al-Mashat invited Slovak companies to explore investment opportunities in Egypt, particularly in green energy, renewable resources, manufacturing, and industrial zones, with access to African, Arab, and European markets through Egypt’s numerous trade agreements.

She also pointed to promising opportunities in information and communication technology and digital transformation, where Egypt is rapidly emerging as a regional hub.

 

The meeting also discussed ongoing preparations for the first session of the Egyptian–Slovak Joint Economic Commission.