Sisi Goes on New Tour to Strengthen Egypt-EU Relations

Sisi during his visit to Denmark (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi during his visit to Denmark (Egyptian Presidency)
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Sisi Goes on New Tour to Strengthen Egypt-EU Relations

Sisi during his visit to Denmark (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi during his visit to Denmark (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi began a new tour abroad that will take him to Denmark, Norway, and Ireland, with the aim of enhancing cooperation and coordination between Egypt and European nations amid growing collaboration with the continent.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, a former Egyptian ambassador to Europe said that Sisi’s trip constitutes a key step in strengthening the expanding partnership between Egypt and the EU.

In Copenhagen, Sisi met with Denmark’s King Frederik X at Amalienborg Palace, expressing pride in being the first Egyptian president to visit Denmark.

He expressed hope that the visit would strengthen bilateral ties across various sectors, according to an official statement from the Egyptian presidency.

Denmark’s Copenhagen Post reported that Sisi is the first non-European leader to receive an official welcome from both King Frederik and Queen Mary. The statement described the visit as historic.

Following the meeting, Sisi and the Danish king participated in the Egyptian-Danish Business Forum, which focused on boosting economic cooperation and investment between the two countries. The visit is set to culminate in the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries, along with several memorandums of understanding across various fields.

After Denmark, Sisi will head to Oslo, Norway, for an official visit, during which he is scheduled to meet with Norway’s king, prime minister, and members of parliament. He will also engage with leaders of Norwegian companies operating in Egypt and oversee the signing of bilateral agreements.

The final leg of the tour will take Sisi to Dublin, Ireland’s capital, where he will hold discussions with the Irish president and prime minister. Talks will focus on enhancing bilateral relations and coordinating positions on shared international issues and crises.

Former Assistant Foreign Minister Ambassador Gamal Bayoumi emphasized the significance of this European tour, particularly in light of ongoing regional political and economic challenges.

Bayoumi, who led Egypt’s negotiations for the 2001 EU-Egypt Association Agreement, said he expects the agreements signed during the trip, particularly the strategic partnership declaration, to deepen Egypt-EU ties, especially in the economic realm.

He further anticipated positive economic outcomes from the tour, including increased Egyptian exports, and pointed to an opportunity to coordinate positions on global challenges, such as the crises in Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon.

The EU remains a critical partner for Egypt. It is the largest investor in the country, with cumulative investments totaling €38.8 billion—representing 39% of Egypt’s total foreign direct investment. Egypt is also the second-largest recipient of EU foreign direct investment in the Middle East and North Africa, according to the EU delegation in Egypt.

In June, Egypt and the EU signed an investment financing agreement as part of a broader €7.4 billion package aimed at strengthening economic cooperation and supporting Egypt amid regional and global challenges. The agreement includes an initial €1 billion EU investment in Egypt as part of a strategic partnership. This tranche is part of the larger package announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in March.



Israeli Forces Order New Evacuation at Besieged Northern Gaza Town

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on Al-Wafaa hospital, according to the Palestinian civil defense, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, December 29, 2024. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on Al-Wafaa hospital, according to the Palestinian civil defense, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, December 29, 2024. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
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Israeli Forces Order New Evacuation at Besieged Northern Gaza Town

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on Al-Wafaa hospital, according to the Palestinian civil defense, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, December 29, 2024. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on Al-Wafaa hospital, according to the Palestinian civil defense, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, December 29, 2024. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

Israeli forces carrying out a weeks-long offensive in northern Gaza ordered any residents remaining in Beit Hanoun to quit the town on Sunday, pointing to Palestinian militant rocket fire from the area, residents said.
The instruction to residents to leave caused a new wave of displacement, although it was not immediately clear how many people were affected, the residents told Reuters.
Israel says its almost three-month-old campaign in northern Gaza is aimed at Hamas militants and preventing them from regrouping. Its instructions to civilians to evacuate are meant to keep them out of harm's way, the military says.
Palestinian and United Nations officials say no place is safe in Gaza and that evacuations worsen humanitarian conditions of the population.
Much of the area around the northern towns of Beit Hanoun, Jabalia and Beit Lahiya has been cleared of people and razed, fueling speculation that Israel intends to keep the area as a closed buffer zone after the fighting in Gaza ends.
The Israeli military announced its new push into the Beit Hanoun area on Saturday.
The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said it had lost communication with people still trapped in the town, and it was unable to send teams into the area because of the raid.
On Friday, Israeli forces stormed the Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza. The military said it was being used by militants, which Hamas denies.
The raid on the hospital, one of three medical facilities on the northern edge of Gaza, put the last major health facility in the area out of service, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a post on X.
Some patients were evacuated from Kamal Adwan to the Indonesian Hospital, which is not in service, and medics were prevented from joining them there, the Health Ministry said. Other patients and staff were taken to other medical facilities.
On Sunday, health officials said an Israeli tank shell hit the upper floor of the Al-Ahly Arab Baptist Hospital in Gaza City near the X-ray division.
Meanwhile, Palestinian health officials said Israeli military strikes across the enclave killed at least 16 people on Sunday. One of those strikes killed seven people and wounded others at Al-WAFA Hospital in Gaza City, the Palestinian civil emergency service said in a statement.
The Israeli military said it was looking into the report.
Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 45,300 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-run enclave. Most of the population of 2.3 million has been displaced and much of Gaza is in ruins.