Madbouly, Al Mashat meet EIB VP: European Investment Bank (EIB) VP Gelsomina Vigliotti met with Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly and International Cooperation Minister Rania Al Mashat yesterday to discuss the bank’s support for Egypt’s energy and food security, and climate cooperation ahead of the COP27 summit in November, according to statements here and here. Vigliotti is currently on a four-day visit to Egypt, and has attended the inauguration of the new phase of Metro Line 3, and met with senior officials from Banque Misr and the National Bank of Egypt. The EIB provided a EUR 600 mn loan to help fund the construction of the metro line.

Shoukry talks human rights in the UK: A meeting between Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Lord Tariq Ahmad, UK’s Minister of State for South and Central Asia, North Africa, United Nations and the Commonwealth saw an “exchange of viewpoints” on human rights, according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry. Ahmad said on Twitter that he and Shoukry discussed the case of imprisoned dual-national activist Alaa Abdel Fattah. British officials have been urged in the past months to intervene, with UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss telling lawmakers last month that she is working on securing his release. Shoukry will hold talks with Truss this week.

ALSO FROM THE MEETING- Shoukry and Ahmad exchanged views on regional and international issues, including the Libyan crisis, and discussed Egypt’s preparations for COP27. They also discussed the upcoming UK Freedom of Religion or Belief Forum (FoRB Forum), which will be held on 5-6 July, in which Egypt is participating.