President El-Sisi Receives Phone Call from President of the European Council

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received this evening a phone call from President of the European Council, Mr. Charles Michel.

The Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency stated that the call discussed a number of files and issues of common interest between Egypt and the European Union as well as ways to promote mutual relations and coordination and to engage in an exchange of views on regional issues.

The European Council President Mr. Michel expressed the EU's appreciation for the strong and distinguished relations it has with Egypt and added that he is looking forward to advancing bilateral cooperation between the two sides at various levels in light of the mutual interest in addressing common challenges and given the importance of Egypt in the Middle East and Africa.

For his part, President El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's keenness to improve relations with the European Union as a strategic partner in various fields and to ensure coordination and consultation on regional issues and concerns facing both sides. The President expressed his aspiration to expand cooperation with the European Union to launch a real partnership in various political, military and economic fields.

According to the Spokesman, the call discussed the developments on the Palestinian cause in the wake of the recent events; Mr. Michel expressed the European Union's sincere appreciation for the successful Egyptian efforts led by President El-Sisi, which resulted in a ceasefire between the Palestinian and Israeli sides and led to calming the situation in the Gaza Strip. Mr. Michel also stressed his keenness to intensify consultations and the exchange of views with the President in this regard.

In this context, the President affirmed the need to work immediately to resume direct negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis, showcasing the ongoing Egyptian efforts in this context on various fronts to establish a ceasefire between the Palestinian and Israeli sides and to promote coordination with the international community in order to launch the process of rebuilding Gaza based on the Egyptian initiative.

President El-Sisi and European Council President Charles Michel exchanged views on the developments of the situation in Libya, and they agreed on the importance of continuing bilateral coordination between the two sides in this framework, with the aim of supporting the current transitional phase in Libya and holding the long-awaited elections scheduled for December as planned. Hence, the pillars of the state and its national institutions would be restored and mercenaries and armed foreign militias would exit from the Libyan territories.

The call also discussed prospects for cooperation between the European Union and Egypt in the areas of development in the African continent. The two sides focused on the importance of ensuring the continuation of the European support for African countries in facing the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic and encouraging major European companies to establish more investment projects in Africa.