Minister of Agriculture receives delegation from EU and Italian Agency for Development Cooperation

CAIRO – 8 May 2026: Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, received a delegation comprising representatives from the EU-KAFI Programme, the European Union, and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in Cairo as part of an expanded coordination meeting to discuss avenues for cooperation and support for Egypt’s agricultural sector.

The meeting addressed current and future cooperation between the Ministry and international development partners, focusing on projects and initiatives aimed at strengthening the food security system and achieving sustainable agricultural development, in line with the Egyptian state’s vision of enhancing agricultural production efficiency.

The delegation included Alice Beslan, Team Leader at the European Union Delegation to Egypt; Eva Stamenova, Project Manager at the European Union Delegation to Egypt; Angelini Marinucci Luna, First Secretary at the Italian Embassy in Cairo; and Tiberio Chiari, Head of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation’s Cairo Office, along with several experts from the agency. Dr. Adel Abdel-Azim, Head of the Agricultural Research Center, also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the Minister of Agriculture emphasized the depth of the strategic relations between Egypt, the European Union, and Italy. He praised the role of the EU-KAFI Programme in supporting Egyptian farmers and developing agricultural value chains.

He also stressed the importance of agricultural scientific research, highlighting the Agricultural Research Center’s role in developing solutions to address climate-related challenges and increase the productivity of strategic crops.

For their part, representatives of the European Union Delegation and the Italian side expressed their appreciation for the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and affirmed their commitment to continuing to provide technical and financial support for projects that advance the Sustainable Development Goals and ensure the stability of food supply chains.