International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr opened on Sunday the proceedings of the rural development academy in Luxor governorate, which is organized for the first time in Egypt. 

The event is organized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) Cairo office in cooperation with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The opening was attended by Luxor Governor Mohamed Badr, head of the National Council for Women Maya Morsi along with a host of officials. 

The minister extended thanks to the Luxor governor and the partners of development for organizing the event. 

Nasr, meanwhile, said that she paid a visit to Luxor several months ago and got acquainted with the challenges besetting the governorate. 

The academy will play an important role in several issues including providing jobs opportunities, attaining food security and empowering youths, she went on to say. 

The minister further said that an initiative about the small and medium-sized projects to support youths will be announced soon.

An agreement, worth 500 million dollars, was signed with the World Bank to attain development in Upper Egypt, she added. 

The International Cooperation Ministry is exerting strenuous efforts with its development partners in order to empower youths and develop their skills, said the minister.

The governor of Luxor, for his part, voiced happiness for choosing the governorate as a venue for holding the rural development academy, which was previously held in Italy. 

The governorate needs to expand in agriculture, she said, adding that attention will be directed on the agribusiness within the upcoming phase, he added.

Source: MENA