Egypt and Italy have signed a social welfare and human resources development project agreement worth EGP 42m in Luxor. The agreement is the third such agreement as part of the Egyptian-Italian debt swap programme.
During the agreement signing, Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat emphasised the strong strategic economic relations between Egypt and Italy.
Dr Al-Mashat said that the value of the cooperation portfolio between the two countries through the debt-for-development programme stands at €350m. The money is being used in development projects, instead of being paid to Italy.
She said the social welfare and human resources development project in Luxor will support Egypt’s national education programme, to develop information technology and infrastructure in schools. At the same time, it will also convert 139 schools from community schools into centres for providing integrated services through information technology and capacity building.
The project’s integrated package will also support families through social and economic downturns and improve job opportunities, particularly during exceptional global economic circumstances such as during the coronavirus.
According to Dr Al-Mashat, this project will contribute to achieving a number of goals for sustainable development, including poverty eradication, improving education especially for girls, and gender equality.
United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) representative in Egypt, Menghestab Haile, said the programme is working with the Egyptian government to support those most affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
