Launch of the Seventh Meeting of Cooperation Agencies in Member States of the Islamic Development Bank in Cairo
Cairo, Sept 6 (KUNA) -- The seventh meeting of the dialogue among technical cooperation agencies of member states of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) kicked off in Cairo today, Sunday, with the participation of several ministers, officials, representatives of technical cooperation agencies, and development finance institutions from member states.
In his opening address, Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Dr. Badr Abdelatty expressed appreciation for the IsDB’s confidence in hosting (Cairo) for this forum for the first time, noting that the meeting represents an important opportunity to enhance dialogue and exchange experiences among technical cooperation agencies in member states and to explore ways to elevate cooperation among them.
Abdelatty emphasized that the partnership between Egypt and the IsDB constitutes a solid model of developmental partnership based on trust and complementary roles. He pointed out that the role of development partners “no longer is limited to providing financing, but extends to transferring expertise and knowledge, building capacities, stimulating investments, and supporting countries’ resilience to crises, turning challenges into opportunities for development.”
He added that Egypt’s hosting of the meeting reflects a shared belief in the importance of shifting from single responses to crises toward building partnerships capable of delivering sustainable solutions, and making greater use of the expertise and capacities of Southern countries, thereby enhancing their collective ability to address growing developmental challenges.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister outlined his country’s vision for integrating development work circles through a more just and balanced international economic system, development cooperation focused on building national capacities, and technical cooperation that transforms resources and expertise into strong, implementable national institutions. He also highlighted the noticeable progress in Egyptian technical cooperation in recent years, in terms of the volume of partnerships and diversity of fields, reaffirming the commitment to continue expanding cooperation with countries, exchanging expertise, and building capacities to serve the goals of sustainable development and enhance South-South cooperation.
Abdelatty stressed the importance of broadening the base of partners in developmental cooperation efforts, including leveraging the potential of the private sector, with its expertise, technology, innovation capabilities, and financing capacity, to help multiply available resources for development and maximize the impact of technical cooperation.
In this context, he announced the launch of the “Cairo Dialogue for Response” to enhance South-South cooperation in dealing with protracted crises, as a platform for dialogue, exchange of experiences, building partnerships, preserving the institutions and national capacities of crisis-affected countries, and boosting investments and development efforts. He affirmed that the initiative aims to benefit from mutual experiences among countries undergoing similar experiences and crises, thereby supporting recovery and development pathways.
The meeting witnessed the signing of two memoranda of understanding between the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development and its counterparts in Guinea and Tunisia, with the aim of establishing frameworks for South-South trilateral cooperation in the field of technical cooperation, exchange of expertise, and capacity building, thereby enhancing mutual benefit from the expertise and capacities available in the three countries.
The meeting, which continues until Tuesday, is attended by Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Nafati, Guinean Minister of International Cooperation and Planning Ismail Naby, Malian Minister of Entrepreneurship, Employment, and Vocational Training Oumou Sall Sy, and IsDB Vice President and Director of the Cooperation and Capacity Development Department, Mai Tahir. (End) A.S.M / F.S
