Egypt: President El-Sisi Receives German President Steinmeier at Al-Ittihadiya Palace

Today at Al-Ittihadiya Palace, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. President Steinmeier is on an official visit to Egypt, accompanied by a large delegation of German business executives. An official reception ceremony was held for the German President and the national anthems of the two countries were played.

Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Ahmed Fahmy, said the two Presidents held a closed session of talks, following by an expanded meeting attended by the two countries’ delegations. President El-Sisi welcomed President Steinmeier’s first visit to Egypt as President of the Federal Republic of Germany and the first by a German President in 25 years. President El-Sisi underscored the Egyptian people’s appreciation of the firm friendship they share with the German people. The President commended Germany’s industrial and technological progress, confirming that Egypt looks forward to benefiting from this advancement through joint projects. He highlighted the German companies’ important role in transferring technology and building the capacities of Egyptian cadres.

President Steinmeier expressed Germany’s appreciation of Egypt’s leadership and people, confirming its keenness on further advancing relations and on forging closer cooperation with Egypt in an array of domains, including development and investment as well as energy, migration and counterterrorism. This is in addition to strengthening the longstanding scientific and cultural cooperation between the two countries. The German President expressed his pleasure at the opening of the German International University in the New Administrative Capital. He also highlighted his keenness on being accompanied by a delegation of executives of major German companies during his current visit to Egypt, where he will also visit a number of work and production sites where German companies are engaged, working side by side with skilled and efficient Egyptian companies and workers.

The meeting also focused on various regional and international issues of common interest, notably the war in the Gaza Strip. President El-Sisi reiterated the vital importance of an immediate and urgent end to the bloody war, which caused a catastrophic humanitarian disaster. The President emphasized the imperative need for the recognition of an independent Palestinian state and the enforcement of the two-state solution, in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy, as the only path to achieving sustainable peace and security in the region.

Following the talks, the two Presidents held a joint press conference, reviewing the key issued addressed during their meeting.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.