Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
  The European Commission in Brussels published the final statement of the talks that took place in Cairo in the presence of a number of European leaders with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi yesterday, Sunday. The statement included a speech by the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who said, “The partnership between the European Union and Egypt is of great importance. The presence of six leaders Today's Europeans show how deeply we value our relations. We share strategic interests in stability and prosperity. Given your political and economic weight, as well as your strategic location in a very turbulent neighborhood, the importance of our relations will increase over time.
Today's visit and strong representation by European leaders reflects the strength of our bilateral relations. Today marks a historic milestone with the signing of our joint declaration for a strategic and comprehensive partnership. It is a partnership based on six main pillars; Six areas of common interest to Europe and Egypt. I am pleased to announce that this will be supported by a new financial and investment package worth €7.4 billion over the next four years.
The first pillar is that we will intensify our political dialogue. Together we will also work on our commitment to promoting democracy and human rights. To do this, we will hold a Leaders Summit every two years at the top of our annual Association Council.
The second pillar relates to economic stability. We will support your reform efforts financially, in cooperation with international partners.
The third pillar relates to investment and trade. We have already established our economic and investment plan for the southern neighbourhood, but we can do much more, whether it is in renewable energy, digitalization or connectivity, whether it is in the agricultural sector or water management, to name a few. To this end, we will support the EU-Egypt Investment Conference in Cairo later this year. In this context, let me say a few words about investments in energy. Together we are developing the Grighi electrical interconnection project, which connects Egypt to Greece, and increases energy security in Europe. Egypt has all the resources needed to become a renewable energy hub, especially when it comes to renewable hydrogen. You are keen to attract foreign investments, and we have investors interested in Egypt, and we have a memorandum of understanding in this regard. So let's move forward with work in this area.
The fourth pillar is migration and mobility. We already have a very good cooperation. This is needed more than ever. That is why we will invest at least 200 million euros from today's package to make our cooperation even more effective. We will continue our work to facilitate legal migration, for example, talent partnerships. In parallel, we continue to rely on Egypt's full dedication to controlling illegal migration from border management to combating smuggling and returns.
The fifth pillar relates to security and law enforcement. We have well-established cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism, and we will strengthen it.
The last pillar relates to several ways, the most important of which is: it relates to people, their skills, and their research. Student exchange under the Erasmus+ program is already thriving. Egypt can now negotiate its accession to other European Union programs such as Creative Europe and Horizon Europe. All of this would deepen the ties between our peoples on both sides of the Mediterranean.
Of course, these discussions are taking place at a time of deep crisis. We are all deeply concerned about the war in Gaza and the catastrophic humanitarian situation that is unfolding. Gaza faces famine. We cannot accept this. It is crucial to reach a ceasefire agreement quickly now, leading to the release of the hostages and allowing more humanitarian aid to reach Gaza. I commend you for your personal efforts, Mr. President, to broker this ceasefire. We are also deeply concerned about the risks that a large-scale attack in Rafah would pose to vulnerable civilian populations. This must be avoided at all costs. I would also like to thank Egypt for its extraordinary efforts to ensure that humanitarian supplies reach Gaza.
The European Union is doing everything it can to provide much-needed assistance. We know that Gaza today needs 500 trucks per day - or the equivalent by land, air and sea. This year alone, the European Union will provide 275 million euros in aid to the Palestinians. We have delivered more than 1,800 tons of aid, including medical equipment, to Egypt, and are working to ensure that this aid can reach Gaza through all possible routes. This also includes our newly opened sea lane in Cyprus.
Current events once again confirm the vital role that Egypt plays in the stability and security of the region. These difficult times have demonstrated the value and strength of our cooperation and bilateral relations. It is therefore natural for us to intensify our partnership. We have a common interest in doing so. Thank you very much again, Mr. President. I look forward to this new chapter in our relationship
Von der Leyen's speech came in the company of Austrian Chancellor Nehammer, Belgian Prime Minister De Croo, Cypriot President Christodoulides, Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, and Egyptian President Sisi.