Planning Minister, Dutch Ambassador Review Financing Programs In Egypt

The Egyptian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Ashraf Al Araby, and the ambassador for Netherlands in Egypt, Gerard Steeghs, discussed the Dutch financing programs in Egypt to detect how the Egyptian side can utilize them, like “ORIO” program.

The meeting focused on how to promote the infrastructure in the developing countries so as to achieve the economic development, eliminate poverty and attain the millennium’s targets, which represent in numerous in the fields of water, sewage, protecting environment, energy, civil engineering, health care and education. In addition to that, the “PSI” program is provided by the government of Netherlands to bolster the Dutch investments in the emerging countries, like Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East and West Europe so as to develop the long-term commercial relations with the private sector’s companies in these markets.

This came during a meeting convened on Thursday morning between the Egyptian Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and the ambassador for Netherlands in Egypt.

Al Araby has emphasized that Egypt and Netherlands share friendship ties since 30 years; included financial and technical agreements, by which Egypt got € 348.607 million developmental aids, divided into € 77.314 million soft loans and € 271.293 million non- Refundable grants.

The minister also referred to the importance of marketing for investing in Egypt, as a promising market, as well attracting Dutch investors; whether for direct or indirect investments. For his part, Mr. Gerard Steeghs showed his country’s willingness in developing the joint economic cooperation with Egypt and supporting the development plans in the coming period.