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Prime Minister Madbouly and UN Under-Secretary-General Al-Mashat discuss regional integration and connectivity
via Egypt Today2 min read
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met with Rania Al-Mashat, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia ESCWA, during her first official visit to Egypt. They discussed cooperation between the Egyptian Government and ESCWA, focusing on developmental and regional priorities. The Prime Minister welcomed Al-Mashat, emphasizing Egypt's belief that regional development requires strengthening connectivity and integration in energy, transportation, trade, and investment, rather than solely individual national efforts. He highlighted Egypt's role as a regional energy and logistics hub and a gateway for economic integration between Arab and African countries, citing electricity interconnection projects, port development, and cross-border transport networks. Al-Mashat presented ESCWA's vision for maximizing cooperation among its 21 member states, stressing that cooperation creates broader benefits for the entire region, exemplified by the "1+1=3" equation. She emphasized existing cooperation models in electricity interconnection, gas pipelines, maritime transport, remittances, investments, and regional companies. The meeting also showcased Egyptian initiatives, including the Egyptian-Saudi electricity interconnection project, other interconnection projects, and Egypt's role in natural gas trade and distribution, as well as its contribution to the Arab Gas Pipeline. Connectivity projects, logistics corridors, and
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