Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is set to meet Monday with German Parliamentarian Volker Kauder, as Egypt and Germany take steps to strengthen their ties.
The Egyptian president will hold talks with the leader of the parliamentary block of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), at the Ittihadiya presidential palace, a presidency statement read.
Last year, Kauder hailed the election of El-Sisi on his own personal website, describing it as a “chance for greater stability and better future.”
The German politician also said Egypt needs social reconciliation, job creation and coexistence between Egypt’s Muslim majority and Christian minority.
Egypt and Germany appear to take steps to strengthen their relationship as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is also the CDU leader, has invited El-Sisi in mid-March to visit Germany following the completion of Egypt’s delayed parliamentary elections.
Merekel’s invitation came after Egypt announced a $10.5 billion deal with German industrial giant Siemens to build power plants that will boost the country’s electricity generation capacity by up to a third. The deal was announced in mid-March in Egypt’s Economic Development Summit.
In the aftermath of the ousting of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, Germany has expressed concerns regarding some of Egypt’s domestic policies.
In April 2014, Germany summoned Egyptian ambassador to protest against the mass death sentences handed to members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
“The hundreds of death sentences make a mockery of what we understand to be democratic principles,” Foreign Minster Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement at the time.
Source: Ahram Online
