Egypt’s Sisi receives head of European Commission

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received on Sunday Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, ahead of the Egyptian-European Summit taking place in Cairo, according to a statement by spokesperson of the Egyptian presidency.

The Egyptian president discussed with Ursula several bilateral co-operation files along with the anticipated joint political declaration to launch the process of elevating relations between Egypt and the European Union to the level of “strategic and comprehensive partnership.”

The EU is preparing a €7.4 billion ($80.6 billion) aid package for Egypt to support its economy and address potential financial challenges exacerbated by conflicts in Gaza and Sudan. The package consists of €7.4 billion in grants and loans until 2027, with immediate emergency financial assistance of €1 billion and additional macro-financial assistance pending approval from EU member states.

The European Commission president is expected to finalise and announce the agreement during today’s summit.