Ashraf Aboarafe
The Egypt-EU Association Committee held its seventh session in Cairo on the 5th of October 2021. The meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Ambassador Raouf SAAD, Chairman of the National Bureau for the Implementation of the Association Agreement, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Carl HALLERGARD, Deputy Managing Director, Middle East and North Africa, European External Action Service.
The Association Committee meeting follows on from the constructive visit of H.E Sameh SHOUKRY, the Foreign Minister to Brussels in July, and builds towards a Ministerial meeting of the two sides, in the form of the Association Council.
Building on the positive results of this visit, the meeting provided an opportunity to consider different aspects of the EU-Egypt cooperation, with due regard to the COVID-19 negative economic and social repercussions, as well as to discuss the prospects of their future cooperation on the bilateral, regional, and international levels.
Moreover, they emphasized the importance of reaching an agreement on their future Partnership Priorities. The two sides discussed their present and future cooperation, including Egypt’s structural economic and social reforms within “the Sustainable Development Strategy: Egypt Vision 2030”, and exchanged views on the EU’s work, particularly its initiatives in the areas of green and digital transformations, and the EU new Agenda for the Mediterranean, as well as working together towards sustainable socioeconomic development.
The Association Committee also undertook a review of the results of the subcommittees’ meetings under the framework of the Association Agreement, namely the Political Matters: Human Rights and Democracy – International and Regional Issues Cluster; Sustainable Modern Economy and Social Development Cluster, which includes industry, trade, services, investment, customs cooperation, agriculture, fisheries, transport, environment, energy, information society, research, audio-visual, education and culture; and the Stability Cluster, which includes the working groups on migration, social and consular affairs; and justice and security.
Both sides reaffirmed their determination to broaden their dialogue and deepen cooperation through a comprehensive and balanced approach, and dialogue in addressing all areas of mutual interest and common challenges, in the interest of both Egypt, the EU and the Middle Eastern region at large.
