Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation Discusses Strengthening Economic Relations with the French Side in light of the Bilateral High-Level Partnership

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, met with Ms. Magali Cesana, Head of the Bilateral Affairs and Business Internationalization Department (SABINE) at the General Treasury of the French Ministry of Economy and Finance, in the presence of the French Ambassador to Cairo, Éric Chevallier. The meeting took place at the Ministry’s headquarters in the New Capital, within the framework of strengthening the strategic relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the French Republic and exploring ways to support joint cooperation in priority development areas.

 

During the meeting, the Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation emphasized the depth of the long-standing partnership between the governments of Egypt and France, which has played a pivotal role in supporting economic growth, advancing development efforts across various sectors, and creating better opportunities for the Egyptian economy. She noted the keenness of both sides to continue building on the positive results achieved over recent years.

 

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat pointed out that, given its growing economy and its ongoing commitment to creating an attractive investment climate, Egypt welcomes the establishment of new partnerships and the attraction of foreign investments capable of driving innovation, achieving economic growth, and supporting sustainable development pathways, in a manner that serves the mutual interests of both sides.

 

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat further noted that the Ministry has launched the second edition of the “Egypt’s Narrative for Comprehensive Development,” which aims to enable the private sector to lead more than 70% of total investments by 2030. She underscored that the Narrative sets ambitious quantitative targets, including achieving a GDP growth rate of 7.5%, through integrating structural reforms with the program- and performance-based budgeting approach in the preparation of the state budget.

 

The Minister reaffirmed the Egyptian government’s commitment to expanding opportunities for public-private partnerships, particularly in sectors that support sustainable growth, such as green transformation, transport, healthcare, education, and others. This would contribute to creating a dynamic environment that enables international partners and the private sector to contribute to achieving Egypt’s development vision, while also benefiting from the expanding Egyptian market and the stimulating investment climate.

 

The two sides reviewed developments in the implementation of ongoing development cooperation projects, particularly regarding the French side’s contribution to the “Sustainable Green Industry” project, the “Universal Health Insurance System,” and the second phase of the project “Teaching French as a Foreign Language in Public Schools.”

 

It is worth noting that the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation had previously announced the Annual Harvest Report 2025 on the development of the Egyptian-European strategic partnership, which addressed the evolution of Egyptian-French relations, the historic visit of H.E. French President Emmanuel Macron to Egypt, his meeting with H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and the signing of the two joint declarations upgrading relations between the two countries to the level of a strategic partnership.

 

In implementation of the joint declaration signed during the visit, the Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, and the French Ambassador to Cairo, announced the renewal of technical and financial cooperation between Egypt and France to implement priority projects in Egypt, amounting to €4 billion through 2030.

Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation discusses strengthening economic relations with French side