Cairo: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty affirmed the special and solid nature of relations between Egypt and the European Union (EU) that were elevated to the level of a strategic and comprehensive partnership nearly two years ago. During a joint press conference held on Thursday 8/1/2026, with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, the top diplomat welcomed the European official and her accompanying delegation during their current visit to Cairo.
According to State Information Service Egypt, Abdelatty termed the consultations as 'constructive,' reflecting the depth and uniqueness of relations between the two sides. He noted that these relations were upgraded nearly two years ago and further reinforced by the first Egypt-EU summit, held in Brussels a few months ago, with the participation of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.
The Foreign Minister added that the discussions also focused on the latest developments in the strategic partnership, emphasizing the importance of building on the current momentum, particularly following the convocation of the first Egyptian-European summit. Egypt's top diplomat said the talks agreed on closely and diligently following up on the outcome of the Egyptian-European summit and working to put them into implementation in the coming period.
He added that he stressed during the meeting the importance of removing any obstacles hindering the flow of Egyptian exports to European markets, noting that discussions also highlighted the pressing need to swiftly activate the Egyptian-European Investment Platform, which was launched last June, by expanding the sectors targeted and benefiting from the platform.
Abdelatty said the talks addressed the heavy burdens borne by Egypt as a result of hosting millions of refugees who fled their countries due to successive crises sweeping the region, particularly neighboring states. He noted that irregular migration tops the priorities between Egypt and the European Union, as it represents a shared challenge, with emphasis placed on the importance of sharing the burdens arising from the presence of millions of refugees in Egypt.
The foreign minister underscored the need to intensify joint cooperation to address the root causes of irregular migration and to create pathways for regular migration. He also expressed hope for EU support to enable Egypt to become a regional hub for providing humanitarian assistance to crisis hotspots in the region, capitalizing on Egypt's central geographic location.
Abdelatty said the talks also covered economic and investment cooperation, particularly in new, renewable, and clean energy, considering Egypt a key hub for energy trading, production, and export. He welcomed all European investments in Egypt in the fields of renewable energy, green ammonia, and green hydrogen production.
He pointed to the electricity interconnection project with Europe via Greece with a capacity of 3,000 megawatts, as well as a similar project via Italy with a capacity of 3,000 megawatts, highlighting cooperation in key sectors such as petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.