US Ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson said the economic challenges that are attached to unemployment are the most fundamental difficulties that currently face the Egyptian government.

Patterson's remarks come as she visited the Egyptian Chamber of Commerce branch in the Qalyubia governorate on Thursday.

The US ambassador attended the opening of a new service centre that works with prominent Egyptian businessmen as well as small project stakeholders.

The centre, which is a joint venture between the Chamber and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to facilitate the administrative procedures for the establishment of economic development projects.

During the visit, which witnessed unheralded security measures, Patterson stressed the importance of small projects, calling them the backbone of any economy and the vital element for progress.

Patterson also referred to the significance of the coordination between the US administration and the Egyptian government in addition to the non-governmental organisations in solving Egypt's economic challenges.