AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON THE EGYPTIAN FUND FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001794 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, AF. F, USAID FOR GAST E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2018 TAGS: PREL EAID EG SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON THE EGYPTIAN FUND FOR TECHNICAL COOPERATION WITH AFRICA REF: A. CAIRO 1567 Classified By: Ambassador Margaret Scobey for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) The Ambassador called on Ambassador Neveen Ashmawy, Secretary General of the Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa (EFTCA) on August 10. EFTCA provides technical experts, training courses and aid donations to assist in the development of sub-Saharan African countries. EFTCA also works with larger donor countries to provide trilateral development assistance. Ashmawy described EFTCA's current projects and proposed possible points of intersection where U.S. development agencies could partner with the Egyptian Fund to enhance the United States' image both in Egypt and sub-Saharan Africa. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador explained to Ashmawy that U.S. assistance is usually conducted bilaterally between USAID and the host government, but that we would advise both the Department and USAID of Egypt's interest in collaboration. Background on EFTCA -------------- ¶3. (U) EFTCA was established in 1980 and is based in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to EFTCA Office Counselor Tamer Hamouda, the Fund has an annual budget of 90 million Egyptian pounds (USD 17 million) (ref A),and is best positioned to provide short-term, hands-on training and expertise to other African countries. In addition to providing aid relief during crisis situations, the Fund contracts with experienced Egyptian doctors, professors and other skilled professionals for four-year terms to provide technical assistance in African countries and also provides training courses, in Egypt, to educate Africans in the fields of health, agriculture, diplomacy, and education. ¶4. (SBU) EFTCA has signed over 60 bilateral agreements with sub-Saharan African countries and over 30 trilateral agreements, where it works with large donor countries by providing contracted Egyptian experts to help defray the cost of technical assistance programs. The Fund has completed trilateral agreements with the governments of Japan, Norway, South Korea, and Turkey. Ashmawy told us that EFTCA has conducted 32 training courses this year, is involved in 82 aid donation projects, and has contracted with 222 Egyptian experts. She mentioned that EFTCA is undertaking projects in areas such South Sudan, Burundi, Gabon, and Uganda. In many of these projects, Egypt provides doctors to staff health clinics, and supplies the clinics with medicine and equipment. Many of the health-related projects provide basic medical care and treatment against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: Cairo is geographically well-positioned to provide training opportunities in selected areas. Post will be happy to explore Egypt's training capacity should the Department/USAID be interested. SCOBEY