Egypt’s Minister of Defense, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs discuss military cooperation, migration, fighting traffickers

CAIRO – 18 June 2023: Egyptian Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Minister of Defense and Military Production, Lieutenant General Mohamed Zaki, met with the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and the Vice-President of the European Union Commission and Chairman of the Defense Council Josep Borrell.

Borrell and his accompanying delegation is paying Egypt an official visit that lasts for several days.

Both sides discussed a number of issues of common concern in light of the current regional and international developments and their impact on security and stability in the Middle East, said the Egyptian Armed Forces in a statement on Sunday.

They also discussed ways to enhance cooperation and military relations between the Egyptian Armed Forces and the European Defense Council, the statement added.

Lieutenant General Mohamed Zaki praised the relations between the Egyptian Armed Forces and the European Defense Council in various fields, pointing out his keenness on the importance of coordinating efforts and increasing prospects for joint military cooperation in the future.

For his part, Borrell praised Egypt's influential and active role in its regional and international environment to lay the foundations for security and stability in the Middle East, as well as the rational Egyptian vision towards various issues of concern.

The meeting was attended by Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Lieutenant General Osama Askar, a number of leaders of the Egyptian Armed Forces, and a number of members of the European Defense Council.

On his Twitter account, Borrell said that he discussed issues of “migration and the need for immediate action to fight traffickers and smugglers, who take advantage of people‘s despair.”

They also discussed the conflicts in Sudan, Libya and the Middle East Peace Process, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, he added. “We will continue developing the EU-Egypt cooperation on security and defense,” he said.

Borrell also met with Arab League (AL) Chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit in Cairo, discussing the Syrian crisis and the future cooperation in light of its readmission to the LA.

🔴 LIVE from #Cairo | Press statement by HR/VP @JosepBorrellF with H.E. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States https://t.co/figagvcqzc

— European External Action Service - EEAS 🇪🇺 (@eu_eeas) June 18, 2023