Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty inaugurated the first meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development on Tuesday, marking a new institutional phase to expand Cairo’s developmental role across Africa.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty inaugurated the first meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EAPD) on Tuesday, initiating a new institutional phase aimed at expanding Cairo’s developmental influence across Africa. Abdelatty described the board’s formation as a “foundational milestone” in the agency’s mission to project Egyptian influence through sustainable development and strategic partnerships. The initiative aligns with directives from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to activate national mechanisms strengthening Egypt’s presence on the continent. The EAPD was originally announced by President Sisi at the 2014 African Union summit in Malabo and serves as a primary tool for regional stability. The board comprises a mix of political, economic, and diplomatic expertise, including Central Bank of Egypt Governor Hassan Abdalla, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Mohamed Farid, and former Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab. Other members are Hala El-Said, the president’s economic advisor; Mohamed El-Etreby, chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Banks and CEO of the National Bank of Egypt; and Ghada Waly, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The board also includes Sherif El-Gabaly, chairman of the African Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, and Ambassador Nermin El-Zawahry, assistant foreign minister and secretary-general of the EAPD. Abdelatty emphasized that including private sector representatives aims to foster “practical partnerships” and “innovative financing mechanisms.” Priority sectors identified for expertise transfer include trade, investment, energy, health, infrastructure, agriculture, and irrigation. During the session, members exchanged proposals to enhance capacity-building programs and broaden the agency’s reach. Abdelatty expressed confidence that the board’s combined expertise would solidify the EAPD’s role as a “key arm of Egyptian developmental diplomacy.”