In a ceremony on Wednesday, the Egyptian Minister of Higher Education Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar and the American Ambassador to Cairo Jonathan Cohen witnessed the sixth renewal of the US-Egypt Protocol on Science and Technology Cooperation, a statement by the cabinet said.

The protocol, which was initially signed between the two countries in 1995, is now valid for an extra five-year term.

The agreement paves the way to further strengthening scientific and research relations between Egypt and the US and building a long-term strategic partnership between researchers from both countries to implement joint research projects and activities in areas of common interest, Abdel-Ghaffar said.

The minister also highlighted the distinguished relations linking the two countries, stressing that joint scientific and research relations have witnessed remarkable development during the past 25 years.

Such remarkable development, the minister added, has been reflected in various successful research projects, noting that Egyptian American research cooperation during the last ten years has resulted in more than 18,000 published academic papers, which represents 10 percent of all Egyptian research production during this period.

Cohen described the agreement as being “another testimony to the depth and breadth of the US-Egypt relationship,” which ranges from security and military partnership to economic development, commerce, cultural heritage preservation, and education.

“We are delighted to continue to partner with Egypt to expand science and technology initiatives and our collective knowledge and capacity,” Cohen said according to a statement by the embassy.

This bilateral agreement will facilitate staff exchanges and bolster collaboration on research and innovation, including environmental protection, health security, and agriculture, as well as enhance intellectual property protection in both countries.

The agreement is also designed to help create well-paying jobs in cutting-edge industries through which the two countries will continue to develop innovations, solutions, and a greater capacity to confront common challenges and contribute to a more prosperous and secure world, the US embassy clarified.

Walaa Sheta, CEO of the authority for the Science and Technology Development Fund, stressed that the Egyptian American cooperation for science and technology “is the first and oldest international cooperation programme that has been assigned to the authority since 2008.”

Sheta said that 139 joint research projects with a value exceeding EGP150 million have been funded by the Egyptian side during that period, according to the Egyptian cabinet statement.

Additionally, 88 scholarships for young Egyptian researchers have been funded to travel and train in the best American universities with a budget totaling EGP17.2 million from the Egyptian side, Sheta said.