Cairo, 27 May 2025

The European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries (DMAS) conducted an official visit to Egypt from 25 to 27 May 2025, led by the Chair Laurent CASTILLO (EPP, France), who was accompanied by Christophe GOMART (EPP, France), Elisabeth GROSSMANN (S&D, Austria) and Geadis GEADI (ECR, Cyprus). 

The Delegation's main objectives were to hold the 14th EU-Egypt Interparliamentary Meeting (IPM), bringing together the DMAS members and a delegation of Egyptian parliamentarians from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, on strengthening interparliamentary relations between the two legislative bodies. The meeting focused on key topics such as EU-Egypt bilateral relations, the human rights situation in the country (including women rights), environment policies and climate change, the EU’s macro-financial assistance package (MFA) to Egypt and the positive mediation efforts of Egypt in a region currently undergoing many different crisis. 

The DMAS delegation, exchanged views with Egyptian parliamentarians, including Hanafy Al Gebaly, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Bahaa El-Din Abu Shoka, First Deputy Speaker of the Senate, on the importance of strengthening ties between the European Parliament and the Egyptian Parliament. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to a strong and forward-looking EU-Egypt partnership, recognising the complex and volatile regional context, as well as the need for Egypt to continue playing a stabilising role in the region. On bilateral ties, participants agreed to explore opportunities to deepen engagement on issues of mutual interest.

The DMAS delegation also had the opportunity to exchange with high level members of the Egyptian executive branch, including Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mahmoud Fawzy, Minister of Parliamentary and Legal Affairs and Political Communication. The meetings were followed by focused discussions with officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on topics such as migration, the Middles-East conflict and the situation in Gaza, cooperation on anti-terrorism and human rights. The Delegation stressed its deep concern about the ongoing war in Gaza and of its impact on the whole region. 

MEPs acknowledged the substantial economic, social, and political challenges faced by the Egyptian government and highlighted their continued support for Egypt's reform agenda, including its ambitious plans for economic development and social modernisation. The DMAS Chair emphasised the importance of promoting people-to-people contacts and educational exchanges between the EU and Egypt, and encouraged both sides to work together to address common challenges, such as terrorism, migration, and climate change. 

Regarding the human rights situation in Egypt, the DMAS members encouraged the government to continue their ongoing efforts, particularly in the context of the country's upcoming legislative elections. Meetings with the Egyptian National Council of Human Rights (NCHR) and with human rights defenders, allowed MEPs to discuss the human rights situation in Egypt to hear their perspective and exchange on ways to promote greater freedom and democracy.

The delegation visited several EU-funded projects, including an impressive Team Europe Initiative project on Wastewater, managed and co-funded by the French Development Agency (AFD), impacting the access to clean water for millions of Egyptians, and the Dominican Institute for Oriental Studies, which focuses on fostering inter-faith and intercultural dialogue. 

Exchanges and round tables were held with a broad spectrum of civil society organizations on development and gender policies, such as the Catholic Relief Service, the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services, CARE Egypt and Save the Children, discussing also matters of education and healthcare in Egypt, finishing with a visit to the school for refugees of the Comboni Fathers (co-financed by the Œuvre d’Orient) witnessing the rich cultural and religious heritage of the communities involved. 

"It is very important for us to be here in Cairo, especially as this marks the first visit of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries in nearly seven years. The 14th EU-Egypt Interparliamentary Meeting marks an important step forward in our relations with Egypt, and we are committed to working together to promote mutual understanding and cooperation," said the Chair of DMAS.

"Egypt plays a crucial role in the region, and we recognise its efforts to promote stability and security. We look forward to continuing dialogue on key issues, including human rights, economic development, and regional security, as well as exploring new opportunities for cooperation and collaboration."

The Chair extended an invitation to Egyptian counterparts to visit the DMAS delegation at the European Parliament for the next interparliamentary meeting in 2026.

The visit was organised in close coordination with the EU Delegation in Cairo, to which the Chair and the DMAS members expressed their sincere gratitude for the valuable support received. 

For further information, please contact DMAS@europarl.europa.eu