Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Ambassador: Berlin, Cairo Trade Volume Exceeds € 6 Bln


Tue 14 May 2019 | 11:50 PM
Taarek Refaat

The German Ambassador to Cairo Julius Luy said earlier this week that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries exceeded 6 billion euros, praising the success of the Egyptian economic reform program.

Luy added, during a press conference marking the end of his service in Cairo, that Germany supports Egypt in various fields, including its fight against terrorism as well as its comprehensive campaign for development.

"Germany has provided Egypt with support within the framework of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with about 250 million US dollars," he pointed out.

Luy asserted that Egypt's population growth poses a challenge to the country's economy, in light of the negative impact on the growth rates, food security, and education.

The population of Egypt exceeded 100 million at a population growth rate of about 2 percent on an average annual basis. In 2030, at this rate of growth, the census will be between 125-30 million citizens.

The ambassador hailed the government's interest in developing education, especially the experience of German schools in Cairo.

[caption id="attachment_51276" align="aligncenter" width="451"] German Ambassador during the press conference[/caption]

"Combating terrorism is a particularly important issue for Germany," he said, adding that his country supports Egypt through exchanging information and carrying out a number of joint operations and training. "Germany has delivered security gates and modern equipment to Egypt to help detect modern weapons," he pointed out.

He said that his country appreciates the initiatives undertaken by Cairo in the region, saying that Egypt can play a more influential role in reducing tensions in the Middle East, especially ones in the Gulf region.

"The EU relies on Egypt for the safety of navigation in the Red Sea and in the region, whether in Libya, Gaza or Sudan," Luy stated.

Concerning the so-called "Deal of the Century," the ambassador said that Germany supports the two-state solution through a negotiated resolution that satisfies both parties involved

On the Libyan crisis, Berlin sees the need to reach a political solution under the provision of the United Nations. In addition, he described Turkey's attempts to drill gas and oil in the Cyprus waters as illegal and unacceptable.

Finally, he said that Nefertiti's head in the Berlin museum is admired by everyone there, and is the biggest symbol of friendship between the two countries.