Al-Mashat and the Vice-President of the European Union Commission inspect the Maspero metro station 13/10/2021 | 10:18 AM
Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, and Mr. Frans Timmermans, First Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, inspected the implementation project of the Maspero metro station within the third phase of the third line of the Greater Cairo Metro, with the participation of Mr. Christian Berger, Ambassador of the European Union to Egypt, and Mr. Alfredo Abad, Regional Representative of the European Investment Bank in Egypt, and representatives of the French Embassy, Mr. Fabio Grazi, Director of the French Development Agency office in Cairo, Dr. Essam Wali, President of the National Authority for Tunnels, Ambassador Ahmed Rizk, Advisor to the Minister of Transport for International Cooperation, and many officials of the participating bodies Implementation, and this comes within the framework of the role played by the Ministry of International Cooperation to follow up the implementation of projects funded by development partners.
During the inspection tour, the head of the National Authority for Tunnels gave a presentation on the development of the implementation of the third phase of the third line of the Greater Cairo Metro, which aims to reduce commuting time, reduce traffic congestion in Greater Cairo, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 9.3 million tons. The Maspero metro station is a part From the third stage of the third line, which is a pivotal station as it is located before the crossing of the Nile water metro line.
Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation, said that the transport sector is one of the sectors that benefited the most from the international partnerships that the Ministry of International Cooperation holds with multilateral and bilateral development partners, based on the priority the state gives to developing the sector’s infrastructure in a way that supports comprehensive and sustainable economic growth, noting He pointed out that during the past year, development financing for the sector amounting to $1.8 billion was agreed upon.
The Minister of International Cooperation noted that projects in the transport sector drive economic growth, increase productivity, and provide the necessary infrastructure to increase private sector investments and develop citizens' lives, praising the constructive development partnerships with the European Union, the European Investment Bank and the French Development Agency that provide development funds to implement development priorities. national in various fields.
The Minister of International Cooperation praised the development partnership between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the funding bodies for the third phase of the metro line, namely the European Union and the European Investment Bank, as well as the French Development Agency, which reflects the strength of the relationship and its role in integration with the state's efforts to achieve development, noting that joint relations supported Development efforts in many sectors, including health, education, agriculture, small projects, environment, transportation, water treatment, health, social protection, and other sectors that represent a priority for the state.
In his comment, Mr. Frans Timmer Mans, Senior Executive Vice-President of the European Commission said, "The future can be green. Through the partnership between Egypt and the European Union, we will work to achieve a sustainable and prosperous future for the citizens of Egypt and the European Union."
It is noteworthy that the third phase of the third line of the metro is financed through development funds from the European Union, its financing arm, the European Investment Bank, and the French Development Agency, with a value of 940 million euros, and the financing was signed in 2012 with 600 million euros in concessional development financing from the Investment Bank. The European Union, 300 million euros from the French Development Agency, and a grant of 40 million euros from the European Union.
The project aims to contribute to economic growth by reducing urban congestion, increasing labor productivity, and improving the livelihoods of low-income people in Cairo by enhancing their mobility, access to education, jobs and other services, and mitigating the effects of climate change and pollution through Providing a more environmentally sustainable means of urban transportation.