Cairo, Nov 2 (IANS): Egypt has signed seven grant agreements with the United States, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), worth 125 million US$ as part of the joint economic relations program between the two countries.

The agreements aim to bolster Egypt's development efforts in the fields of education, science and technology, agriculture, health, economic governance, trade and investment, Egyptian Minister of International Cooperation, Rania al-Mashat said in a statement.

Al-Mashat pointed out that the strategic partnership with the United States is integrated with Egypt's national efforts to achieve economic and social development, Xinhua news agency reported.

She revealed that Egypt's International Cooperation Ministry and the National Council for Women, as well as the World Economic Forum, had launched the "Closing the Gender Gap Accelerator" initiative, the first of its kind in Africa and the Middle East, which works to take institutional measures to empower women.

"The Ministry is seeking to agree on a new partnership with the USAID in the context of achieving the goals of the initiative to bridge the gender gap, improve the work environment for women in the private sector, and enhance financial inclusion for women," the Minister added.

She noted that the partnership with the USAID is also reflected in motivating the participation of the private sector in Egypt's development and increasing its role in various projects, by supporting small and medium-sized companies.