H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, held a meeting with Dr. Anne Aly, Australia’s Minister for Small Business, International Development and Multicultural Affairs, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and explore future partnership opportunities in a number of priority areas.
During the meeting, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat emphasized the importance of formalizing and institutionalizing cooperation between Egypt and Australia, noting the existence of active collaboration with several international organizations that maintain trusted partnerships with Egypt, in addition to established mechanisms and protocols that can be further developed and built upon.
In a related context, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat reviewed developments in Egypt’s tourism sector, highlighting that it has achieved unprecedented record growth during the current year, with the number of tourists reaching approximately 19 million. This reflects a strong and faster-than-expected recovery of the sector despite global and regional challenges.
She explained that the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, along with the accompanying international events and conferences, has contributed to launching a broad global promotional campaign for Egypt—particularly the Giza area—positively enhancing Egypt’s image as a world-class tourism destination.
The Minister also noted the State’s commitment to investing in human capital within the tourism sector through the establishment of additional specialized schools, while highlighting Egypt’s unique cultural and civilizational diversity as a key attraction for tourists.
She affirmed that the achievements of the tourism sector reflect Egypt’s political and security stability, pointing out that the diversification of inbound tourism markets from Asia and Europe is a positive indicator of the strength and competitiveness of Egypt’s tourism destination.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat reviewed Egypt’s economic model and efforts to achieve development through Egypt’s Narrative for Comprehensive Development: Reforms for Growth, Jobs&Resilience, which brings together various national strategies, foremost among them human development. She also referenced the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi emphasizing the importance of strengthening economic development efforts across all governorates.
She further highlighted the reforms being implemented in Egypt’s mining sector and the significant opportunities for cooperation between Egypt and Australia in this vital sector, in addition to tourism and rural community development.
The two sides discussed the importance of efficient use of financial resources and directing them toward high-impact and more sustainable interventions, with a focus on supporting the role of civil society organizations, women’s empowerment, small businesses, and entrepreneurship as key pillars for achieving inclusive and sustainable development. The meeting also addressed strengthening economic and investment relations between the two countries and attracting Australian investments to priority sectors.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat stressed the importance of building on the current momentum and positive perceptions and translating them into clear and practical steps in the coming period through coordinated efforts and defined cooperation mechanisms, in support of sustainable development and enhanced bilateral partnership.
For her part, Dr. Anne Aly emphasized the important role played by regional technical organizations and civil society organizations in implementing development programs, particularly in challenging environments and the most affected areas. She also praised the continued progress Egypt is achieving across various development sectors, especially tourism, noting that this progress is evident during her frequent visits to Egypt.
The Australian Minister for Small Business, International Development and Multicultural Affairs explained that the Australian Government has recently conducted a comprehensive review of its development interventions to assess impact, enhance policy and program efficiency, and ensure alignment with national priorities and regional and international developments, with a focus on maximizing development impact over the medium and long term.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation – Egypt.
