Cairo, 15/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - As part of the €5 billion financial support announced on 14 November (see EUROPE 10730), three agreements have been signed that focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in rural areas, on the extension of the Cairo metro, and on measures to stimulate trade for a total of €62 million.
The EU will contribute up to €40 million for extending a Cairo metro line that will link the city from east to west. The line should concern about 1.3 million people and contribute to the reduction of pollution. The French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) will also grant loans - up to €300 million for the AFD and €600 million for the EIB. The contribution to support rural SMEs will be €22 million in order to help them improve their access to financing. The fish farming and dairy sectors will receive technical assistance. Loans from the AFD for €30 million will be added to this. The agreement of €20 million to stimulate trade and the domestic market intends to foster reforms and infrastructure for the liberalisation of trade.
In addition to the loans for Egypt, the EIB has also announced a new taskforce fund, enabling up to €60 million in loans for the countries in transition.
The EU and Egypt have also agreed to explore ways of deepening trade and investment relations, including through technical assistance, which could lead to a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement. High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton underlined that the road will be long to reach such an agreement but that she would like discussions to begin. An improved bilateral dialogue on economic reform, considered as an important step for strengthening investor confidence, will be set up - as will a dialogue on agriculture. In addition, the EU and Egypt have agreed to set up a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation.
The previous day, European Commissioner for Industry Antonio Tajani signed four letters of intent with Egyptian ministers - concerning SMEs, tourism, normalisation and industrial cooperation.
The EU and Egypt will also cooperate further in the areas of information and communication technologies. The participation of Egyptian students and researchers in the Erasmus programme will be doubled and a cultural platform has been agreed.
Tension on human rights. The two parties also discussed the importance of human rights, women's rights and the importance of the role of civil society. However, the previous day several human rights associations initially invited to the human rights forum were said to be “un-invited”. According to the special representative for the Southern Mediterranean, Bernardino Leon, no one was excluded from the meeting. And he said that a meeting with associations for the defence of human rights had taken place on 12 November in the presence of the high representative for human rights, Stavros Lambrinidis.
The next taskforce meeting is planned for 2013 and the two parties will also meet regularly to assess the progress and implementation of the taskforce recommendations. When opening the taskforce meeting, Ashton had said that the EU had not come to Egypt with promises but with commitments. (CG/transl.fl)