TV screenshot
CAIRO – 11 September 2024: President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi and German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier held Wednesday a joint press conference in Cairo following an earlier meeting.
President Sisi began by commending the participation of German companies in the mega projects that have been implemented in the country welcoming the representatives of those firms who are also accompanying President Steinmeier in his visit to Egypt. He also stated that he looked forward to a bilateral strategic cooperation mechanism led by the foreign ministers of Egypt and Germany.
“We welcome foreign investments in Egypt…I assure foreign investors that their investments are safe as well as any due payments,” President Sisi said.
The two presidents discussed collaboration in the sectors of education, and capacity-building, so as President Sisi expressed aspiration that more German schools and universities operate in Egypt.
“Over the past four years, Egypt was hit by crises that it did not cause in the first place starting with the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the Russia-Ukraine War, then the Gaza War. Also, our southern, western and eastern borders have been unstable incurring big waves of migration to Egypt. Yet, since 2016, no single illegal migrants boat has sailed from our coasts out of respect to human lives that could be lost in the sea, and to the security and stability of Europe,” President Sisi showcased.
In another context, the Egyptian president said he had exchanged views with his German counterpart on international and regional issues of joint concern.
President Sisi said he had also discussed with his German counterpart the longed for ceasefire in Gaza, hostage-prisoner-swap deal, and the aftermath of the war. He urged Europe to play a role in mediation or pressuring parties to reach an agreement, highlighting that Egypt had been working closely with the U.S. and Qatar on that front.
The Egyptian president lamented the death of over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, two thirds of whom are women and children, and the injury of around 100,000. “It’s really perilous that starvation is being used as a weapon in Gaza. It raises questions about real care to human rights,” President Sisi said.
The talks among the Egyptian and German presidents equally tackled inhibiting the extension of conflict to the West Bank and southern Lebanon.
Regarding the dispute on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the President Sisi stressed Egypt’s insistence on a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of the hydropower project, and that it had been attempting to attain a deal with Ethiopia through negotiations over the past decade but to no avail until present.
President Sisi underscored that the Nile River had been the main source of water in Egypt and that it had been moving freely for thousands of years without obstructions
On the bilateral relations level, German President Steinmeier said there were seven accredited German schools in Egypt in addition to 29 partner schools where the German language was being taught.
The German president expressed happiness that the number of Egyptians learning German had been on the rise as their number recorded in the past five years 420,000 learners approximately.
In a related context, the German president thanked his Egyptian counterpart on his initiative to build 100 German schools in Egypt. He similarly stressed the importance of boosting cooperation on higher and technical education between Egypt and Germany.
Further, the president commended collaboration among Egyptian and German Egyptologists, and that resulted in some discoveries
With regard to economic relations, President Steinmeier highlighted that there were 250 German firms operating in Egypt, saying that he looked forward to boosting investments and trade with the country.
President Steinmeier referred to the in-progress high-speed electric train, expressing pride that Germany’s Siemens had been implementing a project that will connect the Suez Canal, Alexandria and Cairo together. He also pointed out to existing cooperation on training Egyptian train drivers, and railway management
As for regional crises, the German president said that the duration of the Gaza War had become so long, and that although it must stop immediately given the suffering of residents, the road would be quite arduous.
President Steinmeier stressed eagerness for the freeing of Israeli hostages noting the existence of German nationals among them. He added that there was congruence with his Egyptian counterpart that the ceasefire would only happen if the hostages remained alive and returned to their families.
The German president valued Egyptian endeavors to broker a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Germany is the second largest donor to Palestinian territories, including Gaza, and the amount has been raised threefold since 2023, President Steinmeier said equally asserting that the aid would not have been delivered, if it was not for Egypt’s assistance.
The German president underlined that, on the long run, the Middle East would need security and stability to achieve the two-state solution.
In a similar context, President Steinmeier condemned the activities of Houthis in the Red Sea given their harmful impact on Egypt’s Suez Canal that is essential for Europe and Germany, stipulating the cruciality of the safety of international waterways and navigation. That is why Germany is part of the Operation Aspides launched in February 2024 in response to Houthi engagements with international shipping in the Red Sea, he highlighted.
The German president concluded by stating that his talks with President Sisi tackled crises in Egypt’s neighboring states, Libya and Sudan, expressing appreciation to Egypt for enduring the impact of refugees, and stressing that Europe must play a role in ending the conflict in Sudan.
President Steinmeier's current visit to Egypt is the first by a German president in 25 years.
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