Minister of Development Discusses Enhancing Cooperation with Armenia in Local Administration, Waste, and Renewable Energy

Cairo - Ahmed Sabri: Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Environment, held a bilateral meeting with David Khudadatian, Armenia’s Minister of Regional Administration and Infrastructure, to explore ways to enhance joint cooperation and exchange expertise in local governance, urban development, waste management, and renewable energy. The meeting took place on the sidelines of her participation in the Leaders Summit on Biodiversity, under the theme “Leaders for Nature,” hosted by Armenia as part of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17).

Ambassador Amal Afifi, Egypt’s Ambassador to Armenia, and several senior officials from the Ministry attended the meeting.

The two sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in local governance, within the framework of expanding joint cooperation and activating the outcomes of the sixth session of the Egyptian-Armenian Joint Committee for Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation, which was recently held in Armenia. They emphasized leveraging the successful experiences and expertise of both countries in developing local governance systems and improving services provided to citizens.

Dr. Awad stressed the importance of exchanging expertise between the two sides, given the similarity in practical experiences in local governance. Both ministers previously served as governors before assuming their ministerial responsibilities, creating opportunities to exchange views and experiences in managing cities and governorates, enhancing the efficiency of local governance, and supporting development efforts in urban and rural areas.

The Minister of Local Development and Environment outlined Egypt’s efforts in several local development files, including the development of Cairo and the preservation of its cultural heritage, the development of unplanned areas, improvement of the waste management system, and enhanced utilization of available resources, all within the state’s orientation toward achieving sustainable development and improving citizens’ quality of life.

She also presented the presidential initiative “Hayat Karima” (Decent Life) for the development of Egyptian rural villages, which covered 1,477 villages, aiming to improve basic services and infrastructure and elevate citizens’ living standards. She highlighted the importance of exchanging expertise on mechanisms for implementing integrated local development projects and benefiting from successful experiences in developing local communities.

Regarding institutional cooperation, Dr. Awad noted the preparation of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation with Yerevan Province, the capital of Armenia, paving the way for its signing. She invited the Armenian minister and the Mayor of Yerevan to visit Egypt to sign the MoU and to observe several Egyptian projects and experiences that could serve as areas for joint cooperation and expertise exchange.

For his part, David Khudadatian emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation with Egypt in waste management, noting Armenia’s interest in benefiting from Egypt’s experience in waste sorting, recycling, and developing the circular economy, as well as exchanging expertise on mechanisms for involving the private sector in this field.

The meeting also addressed cooperation in the field of new and renewable energy. The Armenian minister presented his country’s achievements in the solar energy sector, noting that the share of renewable energy in Armenia’s total energy mix had risen from about 15% to 30% in recent years. He expressed his country’s aspiration to enhance cooperation with Egypt and exchange expertise in expanding the use of renewable energy sources.

The discussion also touched upon the possibility of enhancing cooperation in road management, transportation, and transit, leveraging Armenia’s expertise in these sectors, given its experience in cooperation with several European, Asian, and American countries.

In support of the exchange of knowledge and technical expertise between the two countries, and to open new horizons for joint cooperation.