FM Shoukry departs to Belgium for EU meetings

CAIRO- 23 July 2017: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry leaves Monday to the Belgian capital, Brussel to head the Egyptian delegation to a meeting with the European Union (EU), according to a Foreign Ministry statement Sunday.

The meeting, to be held for the first time since April 2010 will discuss relations between the Egyptian government and the EU with the aim of promoting common interests during the coming three years and ‘deepening relations’ between both sides.

The EU delegation will be headed by Federica Mogherini, Vice-President of the European Commission, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abo Zeid.
After the meetings, Shoukry is scheduled to head to Paris on Tuesday to meet with officials on boosting ‘bilateral relations between the two countries.’

Abo Zaid added that Shoukry will meet with UNESCO officials to seek their backing of Egyptian candidate Moushira Khatab for the Director-General post.

Khatab was nominated by Egypt on July 19, 2016 for the post of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General at the elections to be held in 2017.

She is also the official candidate of Africa to UNESCO. Khatab is one of nine candidates running for the position which could make her the second woman and first Egyptian citizen to win that post.