A press conference took place on the 15th of March at the headquarters of the Egyptian Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation to present the achievements of the first phase of the ENPI Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) “Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme”, as highlighted in the report “Acting together for the Mediterranean.”

The event was attended by H.E Dr. Sahar Nasr, Minister of Investment and International Cooperation; Prof. Francesco Pigliaru, President of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, Managing Authority of the ENPI/ENI CBC Med Programmes; H.E. Giampaolo Cantini, Ambassador of Italy to Egypt; Mr. Diego Escalona Paturel, Head of Cooperation of the European Union’s Delegation to Egypt; Ms. Anna Catte, Director General, Managing Authority of the ENPI/ENI CBC Med Programmes.

In her opening speech, Minister Nasr expressed appreciation of the EU support to Egypt also through the ENPI CBC Med Programme, highlighting that 38 Egyptian organizations (and 2 international organizations based in Egypt) participated in 29 projects worth €11.6 million. While reiterating the support of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to cooperation with the Mediterranean countries, Minister Nasr has highlighted the important contribution of the CBC Med Programme to job creation, women’s empowerment, local development and collaboration between the public and private sectors.

“The Programme has become a landmark for cooperation in the Mediterranean region,” said Mr. Francesco Pigliaru, the President of the Sardinia Region, which is the Managing Authority of both ENPI and ENI CBC Med Programmes. “While the past years have underlined the many challenges we all face in the Mediterranean region, in terms of security, migration, unemployment, climate change, the current scale of the shared challenges also offers a unique chance to truly act together for the Mediterranean, by developing and implementing concerted responses. And this is exactly where the Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme comes: it embodies the vision and objectives of 13 countries to strengthen cross-border cooperation and bring collective solutions to issues that have no respect for national boundaries,” added President Pigliaru. “In light of the positive results achieved during the first phase of the Prgramme, cross-border cooperation should remain an important pillar of the European Neighbourhood Policy beyond 2020,” concluded President Pigliaru.

The EU-funded ENI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme 2014-2020 offers cooperation opportunities between partners from the Mediterranean area in fields of intervention such as economic development, education and research, social inclusion and environmental protection.

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Press Release

ENPI Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC)