Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation and European Union (EU) Ambassador Follow up on the Implementation of the Economic Pillar of the Strategic Partnership, Development Grant Priorities for 2026–2027, and the Expansion of Blended Finance for the Private Sector

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, received Ms. Angelina Eichhorst, Ambassador of the European Union to the Arab Republic of Egypt, to discuss ways to strengthen joint cooperation within the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Egypt and the European Union. The meeting also reviewed developments in ongoing and future cooperation programs, priorities related to development grants for the 2026–2027 period, as well as the expansion of financing mechanisms and innovative and blended finance instruments for the domestic and foreign private sector.

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat praised the depth of Egyptian-European relations. She emphasized that this partnership represents a model of cooperation based on national priorities and the achievement of tangible development impact, particularly in the areas of economic reform, governance, green transformation, and support for macroeconomic stability.

H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat highlighted Egypt’s Narrative for Comprehensive Development as the overarching framework for inclusive development, which enhances the state’s efforts to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth. This is based on boosting investment in human development, implementing structural reforms, increasing the role of the private sector, improving the efficiency of public investment, and linking planning with financing and monitoring.

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat also underscored the progress in Egypt’s economic growth indicators in light of the reforms being implemented, and the resulting enhancement of economic resilience and the Egyptian economy’s ability to cope with regional and international shocks.

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat mentioned the developments in economic growth rates during the first quarter of the current fiscal year. They exceeded 5%, reflecting tangible improvement across various sectoral indicators, particularly the increased contribution of several productive sectors, specially industry, communications and information technology, and tourism, as well as improvements in private investment and export indicators.

The Minister pointed out that these positive indicators reflect the success of the state in adopting policies aimed at achieving sustainable and more inclusive economic growth, while strengthening the Egyptian economy’s resilience in the face of regional and international challenges.

The meeting also touched on the Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) mechanism and budget support, during which the efforts undertaken by the Ministry in coordination with relevant national entities to implement the reform package associated with the first tranche of the second phase of the program were reviewed. These efforts resulted in the disbursement of the first tranche amounting to €1 billion in January 2026. She stressed that this represents an international vote of confidence in the course of the structural reforms being implemented by the Egyptian state and reflects the depth and strength of the strategic relations between Egypt and the European Union.

In this regard, Dr. Al-Mashat reiterated that the policies and measures being implemented under the Macro-Financial Assistance and budget support mechanism, amounting to 109 measures, constitute a core part of the national structural reform program being implemented within the framework of Egypt’s Narrative for Comprehensive Development. She noted that the Ministry is continuously coordinating with various national entities to begin implementing the reforms related to the second and third tranches, scheduled for disbursement during 2026.

H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat reaffirmed the Egyptian government’s commitment to deepening the partnership with the European Union and building on the positive results achieved, in a manner that supports sustainable development efforts and enhances mutual confidence in the path of economic reform and inclusive growth.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation – Egypt.