Dr. Al-Mashat emphasized the long-standing ties of cooperation and friendship between Egypt and Spain. She highlighted that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s historic visit to Spain marked a turning point, elevating the bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. She added that the current visit of the King of Spain reflects the mutual commitment of both countries’ leaders to further develop relations, opening new opportunities for increased trade, joint investments, and broader economic collaboration.
She also referred to the Economic Development Partnership Program 2025–2030, the first of its kind between Egypt and Spain, signed during the royal visit of the King of Spain to Egypt. She explained that this partnership is set to advance Egyptian-Spanish relations to a new stage, covering a wider range of sectors.
The
discussions also focused on cooperation with the Spanish private sector, with
many Spanish companies operating in Egypt in transport, wastewater management,
and renewable energy. She noted that 95% of Egypt’s wind power plants were
implemented by Spanish firms, which are also contributing to the financing of
the Benban Wind Farm.
The meeting further addressed ways to benefit from EU investment guarantees and financing packages for Egypt, amounting to €1.8 billion. These packages aim to encourage the private sector to implement priority joint projects. The discussions highlighted growing interest from Spanish companies operating in Egypt, particularly in energy and water desalination, to expand cooperation in these vital areas.
Historically, development cooperation between Egypt and Spain dates back to the Cultural Cooperation Agreement of 1967, followed by the Scientific and Technical Cooperation Agreement of 1991, the establishment of the Joint Committee in 2005, and the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty signed in February 2009.
On the economic and trade front, cooperation began in 1977 through the Economic Cooperation Program and was later strengthened via the Bilateral Cooperation Agreement of 2001, and two Memoranda of Understanding on financial cooperation signed in 1998 and 2008. These agreements remained effective until 2021, facilitating numerous projects in renewable energy, transport, wastewater management, health, and tourism. In 2021, during the Spanish Prime Minister’s visit to Egypt, the two sides signed a joint declaration to enhance bilateral trade and finance relations, followed in February 2025 by a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in trade and industry.