Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will participate in the first EU-Egypt summit, which will be held tomorrow, October 22, in Brussels, the European Union delegation in Cairo announced, BTA reports.
During the forum, the head of state will discuss with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ways to strengthen political and economic ties. Egypt is considered a key strategic partner of the EU, playing an important role in stability in the Middle East and North Africa.
The talks are also expected to cover global challenges, including the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine, trade, migration and security. The meeting will be followed by an informal dinner with the participation of the Heads of State and Government of the Member States.
“Egypt is a strategic partner of the European Union. Our long-standing relations are based on a common history, geography and culture, as well as on the strong ties between our peoples“, said Antonio Costa. He added that the first bilateral summit would be an excellent opportunity to deepen the partnership and unleash the full potential of EU-Egypt relations.
In March 2024, the two countries agreed to elevate their relations to the level of a strategic and comprehensive partnership, covering six key areas: political relations, economic stability, trade and investment, migration and mobility, security and demography, and human capital. Within the framework of this partnership, it has been agreed that a summit will be held once every two years, in addition to the annual Association Council.
In 2024, the EU is Egypt's largest trading partner, accounting for 22% of the country's total trade. The Union is the main destination for Egyptian exports (26.5%) and the largest source of imports (19.9%), with bilateral exchange amounting to 32.5 billion euros.
Trade between Bulgaria and Egypt also reached record levels in 2024, reaching 1.81 billion dollars (about 1.6 billion euros), Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev told the newspaper “Al Ahram“ during his visit to Cairo in May. The interest of Bulgarian companies in investing and building businesses in Egypt is growing, and the country ranks as the fourth largest importer of wheat in Egypt.
The strategic partnership between the EU and Egypt aims to develop the potential of the free trade area, agreed in 2004 with the Association Agreement, and to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in various sectors.