Cyprus & WFP sign subsidiary agreement for Egyptian multilateral project

Cypriot Foreign Minister George Lillikas and World Food Programme Deputy Executive Director John Powell signed a subsidiary agreement between Cyprus and the WFP for cooperation on the feeding component of the project “Early Childhood Education Enhancement” implemented in Egypt.
In a speech, Lillikas said “this multilateral project is being funded by the World Bank, Canada and the World Food Programme and it aims at supporting the Government of Egypt in providing quality early childhood education to 4 and 5 year old children, especially disadvantaged ones”.
The project has been operating in Egypt between the years 2003-2006 and, as it was proved to be very effective in preparing children for a more productive elementary education, it was extended for the period 2007-2011.
On the basis of the Agreement signed today, Cyprus will make available to the WFP the amount of USD400.000 which is to be used in financing the provision of breakfast to 12.100 pre-schoolers in the Governorate of Fayoum for the entire school year of 2007.
The Cypriot FM said it is “an honour for our small country to be able to contribute to the efforts of the international community for global development”.
He said Cyprus is in close contact with its community partners in the EU with the aim of finding the best way “to work together with another member state in Lebanon, which – since the beginning of 2007 – has been included in our list of priority countries in the area of Development Cooperation. Engagements of this kind constitute part of Cyprus’ Development Cooperation Strategy”.
Lillikas said that in 2006, Cyprus’ total contributions to this particularly important field amounted to a total of EUR15,7 million, and were mainly channeled through the European Union, through contributions to international organizations, as well as, through bilateral co-operations with other EU member states.
“And that is what Development Cooperation is all about: all of us working together towards building a brighter tomorrow – with less famine, fewer children dying before reaching puberty, and less suffering from disease and wars”, the Minister underlined.
In his speech, Powell said the agreement is an excellent offer on behalf of the government of Cyprus and the people of Cyprus to the children of Egypt, adding that from this gift a total of 12,100 children will have the ability to train and a chance for a brighter future.
He also referred to Cyprus’ cooperation with the WFP in channeling the humanitarian assistance to 355,000 people in Lebanon.
Egyptian Ambassador Mohamed Ibrahim Abdel Hakam expressed his government’s gratitutde to President of the Republic Tassos Papadopoulos and FM Lillikas, poi8nting out that Cyprus does not only support Egypt but also the arab world.
He also said that the agreement confirms the close relations between Cyprus and Egypt.