Director Ebong Travels to Türkiye, Egypt and Bulgaria

Arlington, VA - U.S. Trade and Development Agency Director Enoh T. Ebong will travel to Türkiye, Egypt and Bulgaria from December 7-13 to meet local partners and sign new commitments to support infrastructure for civil nuclear energy, digital communications and cybersecurity, emergency preparedness and response, and methane emissions abatement.

"The wide range of infrastructure supported by these grants is a testament to USTDA's unique ability to prepare projects that offer significant opportunities for the export of innovative U.S. technology," said Director Ebong. "Our partners understand the catalytic nature of USTDA's programming, and we are delighted to advance the development of our shared priorities."

Director Ebong will sign six grant agreements during her travel:

• Türkiye: USTDA will accelerate Istanbul's digital transformation by piloting innovative U.S. "digital twin" technology to improve earthquake disaster response and recovery. The grant will also fund a development plan for scaling the technology across Istanbul and to additional use cases including traffic management, public health and energy efficiency.

• Egypt: A USTDA technical assistance grant will identify major sources of methane emissions in Egypt's oil and gas industry and develop a roadmap for reducing and monetizing these emissions, improving environmental and health conditions.

• Bulgaria: USTDA will award project preparation grants to help develop small modular nuclear reactors; safe disposal for spent nuclear fuel; cybersecurity standards for the government; and digital communications infrastructure along Bulgaria's railways.

During her trip, Director Ebong will conduct site visits and meet with current grantees to discuss progress related to USTDA's assistance. In Istanbul, she will also deliver remarks and join a roundtable at an event hosted by AmCham Türkiye.

USTDA's new civil nuclear energy programming in Bulgaria continues the Agency's long history of supporting projects that can capitalize on U.S. technological competitiveness to advance local energy security priorities. USTDA plays a leading role in supporting the deployment of advanced small modular reactors as well as large-scale nuclear power plants in emerging economies, dating back to feasibility studies funded nearly three decades ago in Bulgaria and Ukraine that generated significant exports of U.S. civil nuclear technology to those markets.

USTDA programming in these countries advances numerous U.S. priorities, including the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. Funding for climate-related projects also supports USTDA's Global Partnership for Climate-Smart Infrastructure. Other assistance advances USTDA's U.S.-Türkiye Next Generations Cities Initiative, which supports smart city solutions for municipalities across Türkiye.

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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.

MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | [email protected]