Cairo: Spain's Foreign Minister Jos© Manuel Albares and Egypt's Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat signed the Spain-Egypt Sustainable Development Alliance 2025-2030 in Cairo on Wednesday. The agreement, which outlines a roadmap for bilateral cooperation in areas such as economic growth, climate change, water management, and gender equality, was formalized during the state visit of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain to Egypt.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the alliance marks a significant milestone in bilateral relations, coming just six months after the two countries upgraded their ties to a 'strategic partnership' during President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's visit to Madrid in February. Albares described the accord as 'a decisive step toward the future,' noting that it consolidates current commitments and charts a joint path to address future challenges. He also expressed that the alliance could serve as an international model of cooperation.
Egypt has been identified as a priority country for Spanish cooperation, with funding from the Spanish Agency for International Development set to increase from 2.6 million pounds in 2022 to 4.8 million pounds in 2024, as per the statement issued about the new agreement. The Spain-Egypt alliance will focus on social, environmental, and economic transitions, aligned with Spain's 2024-2027 Master Plan and the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Key areas of cooperation include strengthening public services, job creation, rural development, climate adaptation, water management, biodiversity protection, and advancing women's rights and participation.
This initiative is part of Spain's new framework for 'strategic alliances' under its Law on Sustainable Development Cooperation and Global Solidarity, aiming to address shared priorities such as social cohesion and sustainable production, while reinforcing human rights, multilateralism, and democracy. Spain signed its first Sustainable Development Alliance with Uruguay in July, and preparations are underway for a similar pact with Panama.