Cairo, Egypt – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi left the Egyptian capital Tuesday morning, heading to Brussels, the capital of Belgium. There, he will head the official Egyptian delegation participating in the first Egyptian-European summit, scheduled for Wednesday, October 22.
According to a statement issued by the Egyptian Presidency, this summit is “historic” and the first of its kind between Egypt and the European Union. It represents the culmination of the comprehensive strategic partnership process officially launched in Cairo in March 2024.
The Egyptian President’s busy agenda
On the sidelines of the summit, President Sisi is scheduled to hold several important bilateral meetings with senior European Union officials and a number of European leaders. He will also hold an official meeting with His Majesty the King of Belgium to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Cairo and Brussels.
According to a presidential statement, the visit aims to consolidate political and economic cooperation with the European side. It also aims to coordinate on regional and international issues of common interest, including illegal immigration, regional security, and developments in the Middle East.
Expanded Economic Forum
The visit also includes a pivotal economic component, with an expanded economic forum being held on the sidelines of the summit to showcase investment opportunities in Egypt. This forum will feature broad participation from major European companies and business leaders. This comes as part of Cairo’s efforts to strengthen economic partnerships and benefit from European support allocated to Egypt.
European support and expected investments
According to Egyptian media reports, the summit represents an important platform for signing a series of new economic agreements within the second tranche of the European support package for Egypt. The package is worth €7.4 billion for the period 2024–2027. The current tranche is valued at approximately €4 billion, while the European Union has already disbursed €1 billion as a first installment.
In March 2024, the European Union announced the upgrade of relations with Egypt to a comprehensive strategic partnership based on six main axes. These axes include: political relations, economic stability, trade and investment, migration and mobility, security, and demographics and human capital.
biennial summit
As part of strengthening political dialogue, the two sides agreed to hold a joint summit every two years. This is a clear indication of both sides’ desire to build a deeper and more sustainable relationship.
This visit comes amid complex regional and international transformations, and with Egypt’s growing role in regional security, energy, and migration issues. The summit is viewed as a strategic opportunity to strengthen Egypt’s position as a pivotal partner for the European Union in the Mediterranean and North Africa region.
