Egypt and Germany celebrate this year diplomatic relations that date back to 1952 and are characterised by strength and diversity. Since the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi took office, the bilateral ties between the two countries have been witnessing remarkable momentum in diverse domains. The recent visit by President Sisi to Germany has opened up new horizons for joint co-operation.
During his recent visit to Germany, President Sisi held talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the German defence and foreign ministers.President Sisi also met with 30 heads of German companies and attended the Petersberg Climate Dialogue.
President Sisi asserted Egypt’s keenness on supporting and deepening the extended strategic partnership with Germany, which is a key pillar for maintaining security and stability of the Middle East region.
German Ambassador to Egypt Frank Hartmann stressed the strength of Egypt-German ties, describing the outcome of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s discussions in Berlin as “fruitful”.
In a press conference, the German ambassador stressed that the European world knows very well Egypt’s goals regarding COP27 conference, including dealing with loss and damage suffered by the most vulnerable countries, namely Africa. He also referred to the need to keep the balance between mitigation and adaptation.
“We need ambitious national action plans that can be reviewed and implemented. This is what we emphasise in the discussions we have held so far,” the ambassador added.
Responding to a question by the Egyptian Mail on climate finance, Ambassador Hartmann said that despite the current energy and food crisis, Germany committed to its pledges and will contribute to the $100 billion target for the Joint International Green Climate Fund. Egypt and Germany, he went on, are partners in climate policies, referring to Germany’s involvement, as one of the industrial countries, in addressing climate change and combating the damage caused by it. “Undoubtedly, the industrial countries have a greater responsibility to finance the fund,” he remarked.
“Renewable energy is one of the areas of intensive co-operation between Egypt and Germany and we are helping to build the solar power plant in Zaafrana and the wind power plant in the Gulf of Suez, which is one of the central areas of co-operation.”
The ambassador also pointed to the work to strengthen co-operation in the field of green energy and green hydrogen, adding that Egypt has the goal of exporting liquefied gas to Europe.
According to the ambassador, despite energy and food crises, the climate issue remains a key file for Germany. The Ukrainian crisis and the energy crisis have led to a push in terms of energy policies, he added.
“The German government has a plan to increase electricity generated by renewable sources from 38 per cent to 80 per cent by 2030.”
In a related context, Hartmann stressed that Germany does not want to return to coal as an energy source. But, since winter is coming and in light of fuel challenges, if there is no ability to find alternatives, Germany may temporarily resort to coal to generate electricity and not for heating.
“We have ambitious goals to generate electricity from renewable energy, and using coal will be a necessary exception.”
On the economic level, Ambassador Hartmann revealed that the volume of trade exchange between Egypt and Germany reached five billion dollars in 2021, noting that it is expected to hit $10 billion during this year in light of the new contracts signed to invest in various fields.
The most important Egyptian exports to Germany are fruits, vegetables, and gas, while Egyptian imports include machines, cars, electrical appliances, and medicine, the ambassador said.
Hartmann also referred to Egypt’s interest and confidence in the German education system, pointing to a meeting with Tarek Shawky, Egypt’s Minister of Education, to discuss the expansion of work in this field and the implementation of a project to build new German schools in Egypt.
The German ambassador also said that German government welcomes the national dialogue held in Egypt, which supports human rights in Egypt, and leads to further reforms to strengthen the rule of law and political participation. He also appreciates the Egyptian president’s decision to make 2022 the year of civil society.
Regarding the Ukrainian file, the ambassador stressed that Russia’s war against Ukraine has devastating global consequences. ” We must urge Russia to open food corridors and end this war immediately. ”
The ambassador went on to say that the German government announced its position on the war which matches the Egyptian position and th vision of the conflict, referring to Egypt’s vote for the UN resolution that condemns Russia’s attacks .
“We are waiting for the Egyptian side to express this position clearly during the visit of the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov.”
“With regard to the energy and food crises, Russia is using grain as a weapon to achieve political objectives,” he stressed.
As for illegal migration, the German ambassador praised Egypt’s role in combating it, whether through securing the border with Libya or securing the maritime border in the Mediterranean, which is a strong basis for co-operation between the two sides.
