Eng. Sherif El Sherbini, Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, met with Ms. Gelsomina Vigliotti, Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), to discuss areas of joint cooperation in drinking water and sanitation projects, as well as ways to enhance collaboration in the coming period, Invest-Gate reports.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Sayed Ismail, Deputy Minister of Housing.

El Sherbini began the meeting by welcoming Ms. Vigliotti and praising the cooperation between the Ministry of Housing and the EIB in the field of drinking water and sanitation projects, with the total value of ongoing projects in collaboration with the bank reaching approximately EUR 700 mn.

For her part, Vigliotti expressed her admiration for the progress made on the projects underway in cooperation with the Ministry of Housing, noting that this achievement would not have been possible without the significant support provided by the Ministry to the entities implementing these projects.

She affirmed the EIB’s aspiration to continue collaborating with the Ministry of Housing to support future initiatives that align with the Ministry’s plans.

The meeting also reviewed the progress of the “Egypt Sludge Management Preparatory Technical Assistance” project, which is being managed and monitored by the Project Management Unit (PMU) at the Ministry of Housing.

The project aims to achieve several vital objectives, including protecting public health, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to international efforts to combat climate change, and supporting the agricultural sector through the safe and effective use of sewage sludge, with a grant estimated at EUR 2 mn.

At the end of the meeting, El Sherbini praised the results of cooperation with the EIB on several projects funded by the bank, which align with the ministry’s vision for joint cooperation.