Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said on Wednesday that Egypt is looking forward to continuing cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to achieve its goals and development priorities.

Egypt appreciates its distinguished relations with the European bank in light of the important role it played in the past years as a development partner, the president said Wednesday at a meeting with EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso.

El-Sisi congratulated Renaud-Basso on her election as the first woman to hold this top position, presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said.

The EBRD president, for her part, said the bank values its relations with Egypt and its financial institutions, praising the economic reform program applied by Egypt since 2016.

She said that the program contributed to giving a push to the Egyptian economy, increasing its growth rates and attracting more foreign direct investments.

EBRD is keen to increase its business in Egypt and carry out more development projects in the country, Renaud-Basso said.

The meeting tackled ways of reinforcing future cooperation between the Egyptian government and the bank in various fields, topped by new and renewable energy, climate change, digital transformation, education, training, small and medium-sized enterprises and housing to provide job opportunities for the youth, according to the spokesman.