Egypt, EU to level up relations to ‘strategic partnership’

By Ibrahim Al-Khazen

CAIRO (AA) – An Egyptian-European summit is set to be held in Cairo on Sunday to advance relations between Egypt and the EU to the level of a “strategic partnership,” the Egyptian presidency said.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi will meet with European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, whose country is the current head of the EU, and heads of governments of Italy, Greece, Austria and Greek Cypriot Administration.

Sisi will hold bilateral talks with the European leaders to explore ways to boost bilateral relations, the presidency said in a statement.

According to the statement, the Egypt-EU summit will witness the enhancement of relations between the two sides to a “strategic and comprehensive partnership.”

Discussions will also take up regional developments, particularly the situation in the Gaza Strip, which has been under a deadly Israeli offensive that has killed more than 31,600 people since last October following a Hamas attack.

Sunday’s summit comes amid reports that the EU will provide Egypt with a funding package of 7.4 billion euros ($8.06 billion) from 2024-2027 for stabilizing its economy.

Egypt has been under economic pressure due to the ongoing Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, which impacted the country’s revenues from tourism and shipping through the Suez Canal.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi