Ahmed Rostom, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, has held talks with Luca Sabbatucci, Italy’s Permanent Representative to international organisations in Paris, and Esen Altuğ, Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as Egypt intensifies preparations to host a high-level ministerial meeting under the OECD Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Programme.
Egypt and Italy currently co-chair the Governance Pillar of the OECD MENA Programme, while Egypt and Türkiye jointly lead the Competitiveness Pillar.
During his meeting with Sabbatucci, Rostom discussed future priorities for the Governance Pillar in light of Egypt’s growing regional role, as well as opportunities to deepen Egyptian-Italian cooperation within the multilateral framework. Discussions focused on promoting competitiveness, improving public investment governance, and strengthening economic resilience across the region.
Rostom reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to close coordination with Italy under the joint chairmanship arrangement and outlined the country’s plans to host the programme’s upcoming ministerial meeting. He said the event would contribute to advancing the regional governance agenda and facilitate the transfer of successful experiences and best practices to partner countries across Africa.
The minister highlighted the importance of enhancing the efficiency of public investment spending, describing it as a key pillar of cooperation and a critical factor in supporting sustainable economic growth.
He added that such coordination has become increasingly important amid mounting global economic uncertainty, market volatility, and geopolitical tensions, which require countries to adopt greater strategic flexibility and strengthen their capacity to withstand external shocks while safeguarding development gains.
Rostom also reviewed the achievements of Egypt’s OECD Country Programme since its launch in 2021, ahead of its scheduled conclusion later this month. He noted that the programme has supported the implementation of structural reforms and contributed to the preparation of high-quality development studies and policy reports.
He added that Egypt is currently designing a new phase of cooperation with the OECD that aligns with national priorities, particularly efforts to empower the private sector, improve competitiveness, and attract greater foreign direct investment.
For his part, Sabbatucci praised Egypt’s growing role in promoting governance and competitiveness across the region. He highlighted Italy’s technical support through the Governance Pillar, particularly in training initiatives and capacity-building programmes for government officials and public-sector leaders.
The Italian diplomat also reaffirmed his country’s commitment to maintaining close coordination with Egypt to ensure the success of upcoming ministerial meetings and related OECD MENA Programme activities.
In a separate meeting with Türkiye’s Permanent Representative to the OECD, Rostom discussed mechanisms for activating the Competitiveness Pillar, jointly led by Egypt’s Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade and the Turkish side under the OECD MENA Initiative.
Rostom described the OECD MENA Initiative as one of the region’s leading platforms for cooperation between the OECD and MENA countries, supporting economic and institutional reform efforts and promoting inclusive growth.
