Egypt, Japan probe coop. in energy domain

CAIRO, Sept 21 (MENA) - Electricity Minister Mohammed Shaker on Monday discussed with Japanese Ambassador to Egypt Masaki Noke means of boosting cooperation in energy and electricity domains.

The meeting reflects the distinguished relations between Egypt and Japan as well as the effective partnership of the Japanese side in Egypt's electricity projects throughout the past decades, the minister said.

He added that the Japanese firms are a trusted partners as regards supporting the Egyptian people, given their major contributions to the power projects, including power station, power distribution and transmission and renewable energy.

Shaker pointed out to challenges that had faced Egypt earlier in providing energy to the local market as well as the efforts of the electricity sector in maintaining the sustainability of power provision and meeting the development requirements alongside the soaring demand for power.

He highlighted the importance attached by the electricity sector to the renewable energy with an ambitious strategy that seeks bringing the share of the renewable energy up to 20 percent by 2021 and to over 42 percent by the year 2035.

The minister affirmed the eagerness of the power sector to cooperate with Japan in the field of improving the power efficiency and enhancing the power distribution networks.

The ambassador, meanwhile, asserted the depth of Egyptian-Japanese relations and hailed the progress which has been achieved recently by the electricity in a record time.

Masaki expressed his country's willingness to bolster cooperation with Egypt in the sphere of renewable energy.