PM Madbouly, Japanese officials discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation ahead of GEM opening
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met with Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, and her accompanying delegation ahead of the official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), praising Japan’s significant financial and technical contributions to the landmark project.
Madbouly described the museum as a “monumental cultural gift from Egypt to the world,” and extended his appreciation to Japan for its ongoing support in bringing this world-class institution to life.
The Prime Minister also commended the depth of bilateral cooperation across various sectors, including education, healthcare, renewable energy, and civil aviation, highlighting Japan’s contribution to the development of Borg El Arab Airport, now serving as Alexandria’s main airport.
He noted particularly fruitful collaboration in education, pointing to the integration of artificial intelligence into Egypt’s national curriculum and the establishment of Egyptian–Japanese schools, which the government plans to expand from 100 to 500 schools nationwide, in partnership with Japanese experts.
Governor Yuriko Koike expressed her pleasure at meeting the Prime Minister for the second time this year and at attending Egypt’s historic celebration marking the museum’s inauguration. She underscored the broad scope of cooperation between Egypt and Japan—spanning health, education, civil aviation, and environmental initiatives—and praised the successful partnership between Tokyo and Cairo under the sister-city framework.
At the close of their meeting, Madbouly reiterated Egypt’s appreciation for Japan’s steadfast support and extended a warm welcome to the Japanese delegation attending the GEM’s opening ceremony.
Later, the Prime Minister also met with Akihiko Tanaka, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and his accompanying delegation in Cairo.
Madbouly highlighted the strength of Egypt–Japan relations and the successful cooperation between JICA and Egypt in major projects such as transportation, healthcare, education, and infrastructure development. He praised JICA’s role in the Cairo Metro, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Egypt–Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), the Cairo Opera House, and Cairo University Children’s Hospital, as well as in supporting Egypt Vision 2030 and private-sector empowerment through programmes like NWFE.
He emphasized that the Grand Egyptian Museum stands as a symbol of cultural partnership and expressed Egypt’s readiness to expand joint work in museum management, artifact restoration, and cultural preservation.
Tanaka expressed his gratitude for Egypt’s hospitality and the opportunity to participate in the GEM’s inauguration, describing it as a milestone that reflects the strength of bilateral ties. He also expressed JICA’s keenness to deepen cooperation in civil aviation and airport development, anticipating greater tourism flows following the museum’s opening.
Madbouly voiced Egypt’s interest in further cooperation with JICA, particularly in developing E-JUST into a regional hub for education and research, promoting trilateral partnerships with the National Academy for Anti-Corruption, and enhancing joint initiatives through the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development to benefit African nations.
Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat praised JICA’s responsiveness to Egypt’s joint initiatives and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fostering private-sector collaboration. She noted that Japan’s support continues to have a direct positive impact on Egyptian citizens through the implementation of major development projects.
Tanaka welcomed the proposal for trilateral cooperation with the Anti-Corruption Academy to provide training programmes for Arab and African countries, emphasizing JICA’s readiness to strengthen this new dimension of partnership.
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