EU and Egypt Hold First Summit to Strengthen Cooperation - Assalamu Alaikum
Assalamu Alaikum - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa will welcome Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in Brussels on Wednesday for the first EU–Egypt summit.
Observers say the EU’s push to deepen ties underlines Egypt’s key role in regional diplomacy and especially its central part in recent efforts to secure a Gaza ceasefire. The bloc also wants closer relations for practical reasons, including concerns about instability and migration if Egypt’s economy struggles, and Egypt’s potential as a supplier of green electricity and hydrogen.
In March 2024 the EU and Egypt signed a strategic, comprehensive partnership aimed at boosting Egypt’s economy and reducing irregular migration to Europe.
The summit kicks off at 6pm local time, with press remarks from Mr Costa, Ms von der Leyen, and President El Sisi later in the evening. They will have an informal dinner with visiting EU leaders who are in Brussels for the European Council meeting on Thursday.
The talks will cover political and economic cooperation and global challenges such as the situation in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, multilateralism, trade, migration and security.
“Our first bilateral summit will be an excellent opportunity to deepen our partnership, address our shared challenges and unlock the full potential of our relationship,” Mr Costa said.
The EU wants to discuss support for humanitarian relief in Gaza, including aid access and post-war reconstruction. The bloc will host a donor conference in Brussels on November 20 to support the Palestinian Authority; as the PA’s main donor, the EU has been encouraging more financial contributions from Arab states.
The EU will also attend a separate Gaza reconstruction conference organised by Egypt next month. It’s unclear how closely the two conferences will be coordinated. The EU has also been seeking a role in an international oversight body proposed for Gaza’s governance post-conflict.
Ahead of the summit there will be a side event on investment ties, with opening remarks from the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, and Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El Khatib.
Ms Suica said she will chair a November 28 conference marking 30 years since the Barcelona process, a 1995 initiative to strengthen ties between the EU and the southern Mediterranean - a forum that has included both Palestine and Israel. Gaza’s situation is expected on the agenda, and the EU has signalled it will tighten conditions on disbursing funds to the Palestinian Authority.
May Allah grant wisdom to leaders and ease for the people affected by conflict and hardship.
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