The meeting, attended by Ambassador Ragui El-Etreby, focused on expanding the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) Private Sector Investment Finance (PSIF) tools in line with Egypt’s ongoing economic reforms.
Ambassador El-Etreby praised JICA’s vital role in supporting
major Egyptian developmental projects, most notably the Grand Egyptian Museum
(GEM), while stressing the need to enhance financing mechanisms for the private
sector.
Deputy Minister Sobhi highlighted Cairo's efforts to empower
the private sector and position Egypt as a regional hub for expansion into
African and Arab markets. He called for increased direct engagement between the
Egyptian and Japanese business communities, particularly in shared priority
sectors.
For his part, Hara detailed JICA’s expanding portfolio in
private sector funding, which includes renewable energy projects and credit
lines for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through local banks.
The two sides also explored opportunities within the Japanese bond market and discussed deepening partnerships across various financing instruments. Both parties affirmed that the coming period will see intensified joint action to drive investment and sustainable development between Egypt and Japan.