German Chancellor Angela Merkel told President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Friday morning in a telephone call that Germany is eager to expand joint cooperation with Egypt across various fields.
The two officials went on to discuss bilateral relations and exchange views on a number of regional and international issues, Spokesperson for the Presidency Bassam Radi said.
The call focused in particular on the ongoing crisis in Libya, with Merkel stressing that she was eager to understand Sisi’s view on developments related to the situation in Libya in light of Egypt’s pivotal role in the region, as well as its current role as head of the African Union.
During the call, Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s firm position regarding the Libyan crisis — working to restore state institutions and putting an end to chaos and the spread of criminal groups and terrorist militias. Egypt’s highest priority remains combating terrorism and achieving stability and security, as well as ending foreign intervention in Libyan affairs, which threatens the security and stability of the entire Middle East and the Mediterranean region and only serves to fuel the crisis in Libya.
Sisi emphasized that the will of the Libyan people must be respected, stressing the importance of restoring stability in the country and launching a comprehensive development program.
The talks also touched on a number of issues related to bilateral relations in light of the growing relationship between Egypt and Germany. In February 2019, Egypt and Germany signed a $250 million agreement in support of Egypt’s economic and social reform program, part of Germany’s pledge of $500 million in support for the program across two phases. Meanwhile, German investments in the country have increased to $7.1 billion in the last four years.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
