🇪🇬EgyptNorth Africa
Ireland's Ambassador to Egypt highlights 50 years of bilateral ties and commitment to enhanced cooperation
via Egypt Today2 min read
Ireland's Ambassador to Egypt, Aidan O'Hara, emphasized the deep and long-standing relationship between Egypt and Ireland, noting over 50 years of official ties and even longer human connections. In an interview, Ambassador O'Hara highlighted the strong relationship, including positive personal rapport between President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, his Irish counterpart, and the Irish Prime Minister, reinforced by President Sisi's December 2022 visit to Ireland. The two nations share common stances on global issues such as nuclear non-proliferation and peace in the Middle East, with cooperation extending to developments in Sudan, Libya, and Gaza. Ambassador O'Hara mentioned that President El Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to enhancing cooperation across various sectors. He praised Egypt's infrastructure development, which has boosted tourism, and noted an increase in Irish investments, particularly in the food sector. Ireland is also interested in expanding investments in higher education, through collaborations with the British University in Egypt and Pharos University, as well as in technology and aircraft leasing. Egypt now exports fruits and vegetables to Ireland, and the strategic partnership between Egypt and the European Union is expected to further Irish investments. The diplomat also recalled historical Irish figures who contributed to Egypt, such as Harper, who founded a charity hospital in 1909, and Officer Jerr Anderson, whose artifact collection became a museum. Ire
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Egypt Today.
Hassan Rashad, Director of the General Intelligence Service, met with Abdul Salam Al-Zoubi, the Libyan Deputy Minister of Defense, to discuss issues of mutual interest. Their discussions focused on maintaining stability in Libya and supporting international efforts to unify and integrate Libyan military forces. Both officials highlighted these steps as essential for a comprehensive political agreement that enhances regional security. They also explored ways to strengthen security cooperation between Egypt and Libya to serve their common interests and address regional security challenges.
Egypt presented its fourth Voluntary National Review VNR on progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals SDGs at the 2026 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development HLPF in New York. This makes Egypt one of only 10 countries globally to submit four such reports. Minister of Planning and Economic Development Ahmed Rostom presented the report, which was prepared in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme UNDP. The report reviews Egypt's progress in implementing the 2030 Agenda and outlines the country's priorities for accelerating sustainable development. Rostom highlighted Egypt's commitment to transparency and monitoring SDG progress despite global economic and geopolitical challenges. The review involved a broad consultative process with government entities, UN agencies, development partners, the private sector, parliament, youth, civil society, and academia. The report is structured around four pillars: human development, economic and social development, environment and climate, and governance and partnerships. Key priorities for Egypt include advancing structural transformation, increasing private sector participation, investing in human capital, supporting green transition and climate finance, promoting local development, and strengthening governance and sustainable financing. The 2026 HLPF theme is "Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated action for a sustainable future for all," featuring VNRs from 36 countries includ
Egypt's Cabinet has approved a €37 million financing package to modernize the national electricity grid. This includes a €35 million investment grant from the European Union and a €2 million technical cooperation grant from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The project aims to improve grid stability and expand its capacity for wind energy integration, supporting Egypt's 2030 renewable energy strategy. Additionally, the Cabinet approved increasing the authorized capital of the Suez Canal Modern Boats Company from $100 million to $250 million. A draft law was also approved to merge the Egyptian Agricultural Authority into the Agricultural Research Center, with the ARC assuming all responsibilities. This merger is intended to enhance institutional efficiency, unify agricultural research, and improve the performance of government entities under the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, aligning with the state's plan to improve public sector performance and citizen services.