Commissioner Várhelyi in Egypt to participate in the Cairo Water Week and hold meetings with Egyptian government

Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, is travelling to Egypt this weekend to participate at the Cairo Water Week (CWW2021) and hold a number of bilateral discussions with Egyptian and regional representatives. On Sunday, the Commissioner will deliver an opening address at CWW, the biggest and most important annual regional gathering on water issues, taking place under the auspices of the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, with the theme ‘Water, Population and Global Changes: Challenges and Opportunities'. The EU is a long-standing partner of Egypt in the water sector and has mobilised more than €550 million since 2007 in response to water challenges in the country, leveraging around €3 billion in investments for the sector and creating thousands of new jobs, helping over 18 million people. On Sunday and Monday, the Commissioner will have bilateral meetings with members of the Egyptian Government, high-level CWW participants as well as with Secretary General of the Union for the Mediterranean, Nasser Kamel, to discuss cooperation in key sectors of common interest for Egypt and the whole region. This is in line with EU's Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern Neighbourhood priorities, underpinning EU's new Agenda for the Mediterranean, as well as EU-Egypt partnership. While in Cairo, Commissioner Várhelyi will also visit Ard Ellewa community development programme, funded by the EU to support upgrading of unplanned and informal urban settlements. Coverage will be provided by EbS.