Egypt and the European Union launched in Cairo on Thursday 20/11/2008 eight new twinship projects. Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation Fayza Abul-Naga announced the launching of the projects under a Euro-Egyptian Partnership Agreement carried out by the ministry.

Minister of State for Economic Development Osman Mohamed Osman and EU Ambassador in Cairo Klaus Ebermann were present among others to witness the launching.

Ambassador Gamal Bayoumi, Secretary General of the Euro-Egyptian Partnership Agreement said, the first project envisages a water management quality venture. He put the project total budget at 1.3 million euros. According to Bayoumi, the blueprint for implementing the venture is 24 months.

The second venture entails the upgrading of the Egyptian Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics with a budget worth some 1.6 million euros allocated for its implementation which is scheduled to take 24 months, he said.

The third project implies an overall management of waste and hazardous material, according to Bayoumi. The plant's budget is some 1.6 million euros and is to be carried out within the same period set for the first two ventures, he said.