Ashraf AboArafe
The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder is celebrating German Unity Day under the African sun this year, as the leader of the Christian Social Union is scheduled to visit Egypt for three days on Wednesday.
“We are traveling to Cairo at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and the timing of the visit fits in with our strategy in Africa and the Middle East,” Söder told the German Press Agency in Munich. “From a security perspective, Egypt is the gateway to Africa and an important partner in the region.”
Söder added that he is the third Bavarian prime minister to visit Egypt after Franz Josef Strauss and Edmund Stoiber. “The highlight of this visit is the meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly,” he added, which is scheduled for Thursday.
Our destination: “The Suez Canal on Rails”
Although the talks with Madbouly will also focus on the subject of migration, other issues will take center stage: “We want to expand economic cooperation as part of Bavaria’s Africa strategy. To this end, we are supporting Bavarian companies, for example Siemens.”
Söder therefore wants to visit the country’s largest railway project, the “Suez Canal on Rails.” Siemens, a Bavarian company, is playing a major role in its construction.
Another focus of the visit will be hydrogen. “We want new suppliers of green hydrogen and we will agree on areas of cooperation with Egypt in this area.” As an “economic powerhouse,” Bavaria needs reliable access to hydrogen from the north and south, as it is the technology of the future.
Visit to Giza and the Copts:
Anyone who knows Prime Minister Söder knows that he will not miss visiting the pyramids during his trip to Egypt. “Egypt is an interesting country, because of its great history,” says Söder.
Before Söder leaves for Bavaria on Friday, he would also like to visit and support a social project for children of the Coptic Church. “We would also like to support Christians in the country.”
It is not Söder’s first visit to the North African country – he has already visited Egypt twice – but it will be a special one. However, this will be the first of its kind: On October 3, the state of Bavaria, in cooperation with the German Embassy in Cairo, will organize a celebration to mark the Day of German Unity – it will be like an Oktoberfest under the palm trees.
“We want to show there why Bavaria is the most beautiful state in Germany and enjoys a very high status abroad,” adds Söder.
Egypt is an important trading partner for Bavaria:
Egypt is an important trading partner for Bavaria in North Africa. In 2023, the total foreign trade volume amounted to 618 million euros – with exports from Bavaria to Egypt amounting to 482 million euros.
It is worth noting that Egypt’s most important exports to Bavaria are vegetables and fruits (12%), crude oil (11%) and gas (7%). Egypt has a good climate for using solar and wind energy. There is also potential for development in the production of “green hydrogen” – in this field Egypt is looking for investors.
