Egypt aspires for European Parliament's endorsement of 2nd tranche of financial assistance: FM to MEPs

CAIRO – 21 January 2025: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Badr Abdelatty expressed Tuesday Egypt's aspiration for the endorsement of the €4-billion-worth second tranche of the €7.4-billion financial assistance package by the European Parliament.

The minister's statements came during his visit to the European Parliament's headquarters in Strasbourg as he met with Chairman of the European Parliament's International Trade Committee (INTA) Bernd Lange and Shadow Rapporteur of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament Elio DI RUPO.

The Egyptian minister commended the growth of ties over the past year as the Strategic Partnership Agreement was signed in March, the Egypt-EU Investment Conference was held in June, the fourth round of dialogue on migration between the two sides took place in July, and the first tranche of the package was disbursed in December.

In another context, the minister shed light on the progress made on the execution of the National Strategy on Human Rights, as more prisoners were granted presidential pardon, and action plans are being set to implement the recommendations of the National Dialogue on the political, economic and social levels. He equally highlighted economic reforms, incentives offered to foreign investors, and endeavors to expand the role of the private sector.

Minister Abdelatty further displayed to Lange regional threats, pointing out to the importance of the EU's empowerment of Egypt to counter those crises, given the interconnection between the two sides' security and stability.

The minister later met with Chair of the 'Patriots for Europe' Group Jordan Bardella as well as group members who are concerned with EU-Egyptian ties, as he presented the efforts deployed by Egypt on combating illegal migration. That is by addressing root causes that are intertwined with the lack of development.

Similarly, he highlighted the economic suffering of Egypt due to hosting millions of foreigners who fled their countries because of conflicts.

In a related context, Minister Abdelatty showcased the success of Egypt on combating terrorism by addressing the economic, social, intellectual, and educational aspects, and not just security confrontations. He equally gave an overview of the ongoing political reform, enhancement of human rights status, and Egypt's stance on regional crises.