Sisi assigns gov't to transfer Egypt's pioneering expertise to Iraq: Mahlab

KUWAIT - 12 February 2018: Egyptian Presidential Assistant For National and Strategic Projects Ibrahim Mahlab said Egypt's participation in the International Conference on the Reconstruction of Iraq reflects its pioneering role at the Arab, regional and international levels.

Interviewed by MENA, Mahlab said President Abdel Fattah el Sisi made directives on the necessity of standing by Iraq in order to benefit it from Egypt's pioneering expertise in the reconstruction fields and help Baghdad in rebuilding areas damaged by terrorists.

He reiterated that Egypt is keen on extending its unique expertise in the accomplishment of mega national projects in a record time to Iraq, especially that the war-torn country needs a lot of logistic services as soon as possible like projects in the fields of energy, hospitals and schools, to pave the way for the return of thousands of displaced people.

On the Egyptian-Kuwaiti relations, Mahlab said they are "deeply rooted and historic", noting that Kuwait hosts thousands of Egyptians working in the various professions and they are great contributors to the development of Kuwait.

The presidential assistant also noted that Kuwait's hosting the International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq emanated from its humanitarian role, describing Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al Ahmad al Jabir as "a humanitarian leader". In the meatime, the conference sends a clear message to the international community on the importance of backing Iraq in such critical phase of its history after its success in uprooting terrorism, he added.

On Egypt's achievements over the past four years, Mahlab said that if there were such a thing as an Olympic gold medal for construction, Egypt would certainly be a winner for all the construction projects it had successfully accomplished over the past four years.

He said Egypt has managed to add 25,000 megawatts of power to its network, established 500 kilometers of roads and built fisheries of the biggest kind in the world in addition to being a strong fighter in the war on terrorism.

Mahlab highlighted the rise in economic growth rates, noting that Egypt's economic reforms and development plans have actually started to bear fruit but they still need to be given more time to prove their complete success and to really reflect on the daily lives of citizens.

He also cited a decrease in the inflation rates and the launching of a national health insurance system, adding that the past period also witnessed a slight decrease in the prices of commodities.