The EU and Egypt want to greatly expand their cooperation. It’s about economic and political stability in North Africa, but also about the fight against unwanted migration.
The EU wants to significantly expand its cooperation with Egypt and is promising the North African state financial aid worth around 7.4 billion euros by the end of 2027. The support in the form of loans and grants will be part of a new strategic partnership, as the European Commission announced on Sunday at a top meeting of EU representatives with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo. According to the plans, it will be about expanding cooperation to curb unwanted migration, but also about economic and political cooperation.
According to the information, of the 7.4 billion euros, 5 billion euros are earmarked for loans and 1.8 billion euros for investments in areas such as food security and digitalization. 600 million euros should therefore flow as grants, 200 million of which will go to migration management.
Top politicians in Cairo
In addition to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, several heads of government from EU states were expected at the top meeting in Cairo. Among them were the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as well as Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer and the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The Greek government in particular has recently been concerned about increasing arrivals of migrants of Egyptian origin via a new refugee route from Tobruk in Libya towards Crete. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has already registered more than 1,000 people arriving from Tobruk on the islands of Gavdos and Crete this year. Most of them are said to come from Egypt.
Von der Leyen has been advertising for months
Von der Leyen has long been calling for closer cooperation with Egypt. “The country is accepting a growing number of refugees and we have a duty to support it,” she wrote to the heads of state and government of the EU states last October. Egypt also plays a crucial role in the security and stability of the Middle East. Building a “strategic and mutually beneficial partnership” must be a priority, she argued.
An agreement reached with Tunisia had previously caused discussions. Among other things, it stipulates that the North African country will take greater action against smugglers and illegal crossings in return for millions in financial aid. At the time, the EU Commission received criticism from refugee organizations, among others, because the Tunisian government was accused of human rights violations.
Rivals are China and Russia
Support for the new plans with Egypt came from the European Parliament on Sunday. The need to curb the uncontrolled migration flows to Europe and to deepen economic cooperation with the countries of North Africa has been emphasized for years, commented the chairman of the Christian Democratic EPP group, Manfred Weber (CSU). The EPP welcomes the steps taken by von der Leyen and the other heads of government.
Meanwhile, EU diplomats emphasize that migration is just one of many aspects of cooperation. Accordingly, it is particularly important to prevent Russia and China from gaining even greater influence in Egypt. For example, Russia is currently building nuclear reactors in the North African country and Beijing is also trying to strengthen its influence with billions in investments.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
