The Egypt crisis became a trade problem for Europe with high inflation rates and the collapse of Suez Canal revenues

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa are expected to announce an increase in European economic aid to Egypt and Egypt’s admission into the European Union’s Horizons research incubation programme, a €175 billion (about $202.7 billion) fund for scientific research and innovation in areas from quantum technology to the space industry.

New deals amid regional tensions

The summit comes as the 27-nation bloc seeks new trade and security agreements amid geopolitical turmoil sparked by US President Donald Trump’s combative policies and export restrictions from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Part of its approach is the so-called Mediterranean Charter, where the EU seeks deeper integration with countries from Morocco to Turkey, including offering European aid in exchange for efforts to slow migration to Europe.

Egypt’s economic problems

Egypt is suffering High inflationAs well as the instability caused by the war that is still raging in neighboring Gaza.

Sisi told Costa and other world leaders last week that US President Donald Trump Middle East proposalwhich aims to end the two-year-old Israeli war in Gaza, represents “last chance” For peace in the region he repeated his call The two-state solutionSaying that the Palestinians have the right to an independent state.

The European Union is Egypt’s largest trading partner. While signing Joint declaration Last year, Brussels announced an aid package worth 7.4 billion euros (about 8.6 billion dollars) for cash-strapped Egypt in the form of loans, investments and support for specific programs such as immigration.

The deal injected much-needed money into the Egyptian economy, which it did Hit hard Due to years of government austerity, the Corona virus pandemic, and its repercussions Massive Russian invasion of Ukraine And recently, The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Houthi attacks on Shipping methods in the Red Sea It also reduced revenues from the Suez Canal, a major source of foreign currency, by forcing traffic away from the canal and around the African tip. Both Brussels and Cairo have serious concerns about migration.

Europe and asylum seekers

The arrival in Europe of asylum seekers and other migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa over the past decade has helped fuel far-right populism and led to the imposition of stricter border controls, exacerbating the problem. Severe criticism From human rights groups.

Before Wednesday’s summit, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, met with Sisi in Brussels, where he told her that “Europe has not been significantly affected by illegal migration” because since 2016 Egypt has thwarted the launch of many migrant boats, according to a statement from the president’s office.

Eve Guidi, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, said that Sisi should pressure the European Union to do more for Gaza. At the same time, she said, von der Leyen and Costa should pressure the former military leader to stop “rampant arbitrary arrests, unfair trials and harsh prison sentences against critics.”

Egypt faces its own migration pressures. While in recent years it has become a transit point for those trying to cross the dangerous Mediterranean Sea sea When crossing into Europe, Egypt has for decades been a refuge for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa trying to escape armed conflict and extreme poverty.

Egypt, with a population of 116 million, says there are 9 million migrants in the country, including about 900,000 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the United Nations refugee agency. Sisi is also expected to meet King Philip I of Belgium during his visit.

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Associated Press writer Sami Magdy contributed to this report from Cairo.