European Union Ambassador-Designate Angelina Eichhorst arrives in Cairo

The EU Ambassador-Designate to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Mrs. Angelina Eichhorst, presented yesterday a copy of her letter of credence to Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ambassador-Designate Eichhorst was nominated by High Representative Josep Borrell as EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Egypt and to the League of Arab States in April 2024. She succeeds Ambassador Christian Berger.

A seasoned diplomat with extensive experience in the Middle East, Eichhorst has previously served as EU Ambassador to Lebanon and Head of Political and Economic Affairs at the EU Delegation to Syria. Most recently, she held the position of Managing Director for Europe at the European External Action Service and has previously been the Chief Negotiator in the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue. 

As the new EU Ambassador-Designate, Eichhorst will work to solidify the strategic partnership between the EU and Egypt, building upon the Comprehensive & Strategic Partnership signed in March 2024.

Eichhorst expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to serve as the new EU Ambassador in Cairo: "I am honoured to take on this responsibility at such a critical time. My engagement with Egypt and the Arab world has grown over time, beginning in the late 1980s when I started by academic and professional career in Cairo. I look forward to working closely with our Egyptian partners to further promote and strengthen EU-Egypt relations for a mutually beneficial partnership.”

The Ambassador-Designate will formally assume her duties upon the presentation of credentials to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Biography:

Angelina Eichhorst is the current EU Ambassador-Designate and Head of Delegation to Egypt. Before her appointment in Egypt in 2024, she served as Managing Director for Europe at the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels from 2020 to 2024. In this role, she was responsible for strategic engagement across Europe, following a tenure as Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia from 2019 to 2020.

From 2015 to 2019, Eichhorst was Deputy Managing Director and Director for Western Europe, Western Balkans, and Turkey, where she played a pivotal role as Chief Negotiator in the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue. Her diplomatic career also includes her role as EU Ambassador to Lebanon (2011–2015) and her work as Head of Political and Economic Affairs at the EU Delegation in Syria from 2008 to 2010. Earlier, from 2004 to 2008, she led development and regional cooperation initiatives at the EU Delegation in Jordan.

Eichhorst’s extensive background includes policy advising positions within the European Commission's Directorate General for Development and Directorate General for External Relations, covering human and social development, and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. She also brings valuable experience from her earlier work with the United Nations and Save the Children, as well as her academic achievements in international law and Middle Eastern studies.