Ashraf AboArafe
In the presence of diplomats, media professionals, businessmen, artists and others, the German Embassy in Cairo celebrated the National Day, which falls on October 3, under the patronage of the German Ambassador to Egypt, Mr. Jürgen Scholz, who received Mr. Markus Söder, Prime Minister (PM) of Bavaria, to participate in the celebration of the National Day 2024 in a unique Egyptian atmosphere, where an event was organized in cooperation with the German Embassy in Cairo to highlight the close ties between Bavaria and Egypt.
Söder’s official visit lasts for three days and comes within the framework of the Bavarian State’s strategy to enhance cooperation with Africa and the Middle East, as Egypt is an important gateway to the region.
Mr. Söder will meet with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly to discuss economic issues, most notably the “Suez Canal on Rails” railway project supported by the Bavarian company Siemens, as well as cooperation in the field of green hydrogen, which represents the technology of the future.
Ambassador Jürgen Scholz gave a speech as follows:
Dear Minister-President Söder,
Dear Ministers,
Members of Parliament,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear friends,
Fellow citizens,
I would like to welcome you all to the Residence Garden of the German Embassy in Cairo and I am delighted that you have joined us to celebrate the Day of German Unity this evening.
I am very pleased that this year we are celebrating together with the delegation of the Bavarian Minister-President, Dr. Markus Söder.
Minister President – once again, a very warm welcome!
Dear guests,
Germany and Egypt enjoy a very special partnership and friendship that has grown over time – politically, economically, culturally, educationally and academically.
Our cooperation is close, based on trust, and impressively diverse.
Here are just a few selected examples showcasing this:
There is no other country in the region with which we have a closer cooperation regarding foreign cultural and educational policy than Egypt:
In the area of universities, schools, archaeology and research. Pars pro toto I would like to mention the two German-Egyptian universities with a total of more than 17,000 students – and the project “100 Egyptian-German schools”, which we agreed on this spring and which will give our cooperation a further boost.
Last year our trade volume grew by 23% to reach almost 7 billion Euros. Germany is one of Egypt’s top five trade partners worldwide.
German companies are important partners in major infrastructure and energy projects – and our contribution to the modernization of the country is significant. And we support the Egyptian government’s reform agenda – bilaterally, but also within the framework of the European Union – with the aim of further improving the conditions for German companies and investors in Egypt.
But our economic cooperation is not a one-way street. In the near future hydrogen “Made in Egypt” will be exported to Germany and support the de-carbonization of our industry.
Egypt remains one of the most popular destinations for German tourists. Last year 1.5 million Germans visited Egypt.
These few examples show that we can be proud of what we have achieved – and at the same time see it as an incentive to further intensify and enlarge the full range of this cooperation.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
For us Germans, today is a holiday in the truest sense of the word.
We are celebrating the peaceful re-unification of our country, which took place 34 years ago, and that the division of Europe was overcome. We celebrate what we hoped for in 1990: We dreamed of a different, better, and more peaceful world.
Some of those dreams have come true. Sadly, many others of them have not.
The list of crises and also wars we face on a daily basis – especially taking into account most recent developments – is long.
For almost 1000 days now we have seen how Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has cost countless lives and destroyed Ukrainian cities, schools, and hospitals. Germany will continue to stand firmly by Ukraine – both bilaterally and in the EU, NATO and G7 – so that a just and lasting peace can be achieved and Ukraine can continue to exist as a free and independent country.
Egypt, our host country, is currently facing a particularly high level of instability along its borders and in the region: The tense situation in Libya. The war in Sudan with its devastating humanitarian effect. The current military conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and, again this past Tuesday, Iran’s direct military attacks on Israel.
The developments since 7 October last year have kept us all holding our breath. Germany enormously appreciates the responsible role that Egypt is playing in this context. We are coordinating closely with our Egyptian partners. Of course, each of us perceives this conflict from their own perspective. Germany is committed to the security of the State of Israel. But at the same time, we are committed to the sustainable security of the Palestinians.
We are convinced that security is only possible if both sides – Israelis and Palestinians – live in security. That is why we strongly support a ceasefire in Gaza, in line with US President Biden’s plan, endorsed by the UN Security Council. Looking at the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, we are also strongly supporting increased humanitarian aid. Germany alone has provided more than 360 million Euros in humanitarian aid to Gaza since last October. Finally, we adhere to the goal of the two-state solution so that Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side peacefully in their own respective states, based on the borders of June 4, 1967.
Today – at this moment – this vision still seems a distant goal. But perhaps today’s public holiday, commemorating the events that led to German reunification and the end of the division of Europe, can also be a reminder that what we consider impossible can quickly become a reality when conditions change.
Before 1989 many people in Germany and around the world were convinced that the Berlin Wall would divide the city and the country for many generations. Many at the time, quite simply, considered it impossible to ever find an answer to the so-called ‘German question’. Then things changed very quickly. And Germans in the East and in the West were once again able to live in peace, freedom, and – luckily – restored unity. Today – on our holiday – we wish the people of the Middle East, who are currently experiencing so much suffering and hardship, that they also can live in peace. For us, German reunification will continue to be a solemn reminder and a mandate for diplomacy to work for peace and freedom.
Dear guests,
I would like to conclude by thanking you again for accepting our invitation in such large numbers.
I would also like to thank our sponsors especially BMW Egypt, Kayan Group and Siemens for their support – without it this evening would not have been possible.
And I would also like to thank all the staff at the Embassy in Cairo for their tireless efforts in organizing this event.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wish you an enjoyable evening! Thank you very much!
