By Ahmet Gencturk
ATHENS (AA) – European leaders are set this weekend to visit Cairo amid growing concerns over stability in Egypt, Greek media reported on Thursday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni will be in the Egyptian capital on Sunday to formalize an agreement which includes a €7.4 billion ($8.1 billion) package to manage migration, said daily Kathimerini.
Maintaining that Greece is particularly concerned for two major reasons – a rising flow of irregular migrants from Egypt to the island of Crete and economic hardships Cairo has been experiencing – it said, “Any further hardship on the Egyptian economy might shock Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s government, which has forged a strategic alliance with Greece.”
“There are millions of refugees in Egypt – no one can say how many for sure – and with widespread destabilization, the flows to Greece could increase dramatically via Libya,” it added.
Against this background, government sources underlined that support for the Sisi government is vital for Greek interests, according to the daily.