Olaf Scholz, the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), has been sworn in as German chancellor on Wednesday after Merkel had served for four terms since 2005.

“I am honoured of the work, fruitful cooperation, and regular consultation I had with German chancellor Angela Merkel over the last seven years,” El-Sisi said in a tweet on Thursday.

El-Sisi hailed Merkel as a “great personality with a unique leadership style that combines wisdom and power.”

He added that she “accomplished a lot for her nation and people, Europe, and the world during her bright political career.”

“The Egyptian government and people will not forget what former chancellor Angela Merkel has done to foster Egyptian-German relations, and her role in strengthening the bonds of friendship between the two friendly countries and peoples.”

“I express my sincere appreciation to her, and I wish her good health and delight in her new life,” the president added.

El-Sisi held several meetings with Merkel throughout his ongoing tenure, the last of which was during the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) that was held in Glasgow, UK, last month.

Over the past decade, Egypt and Germany have significantly intensified their economic and developmental cooperation, with around 1,180 German companies currently operating in all economic sectors.

Areas of cooperation between the two countries have comprised numerous fields, including the water sector, wastewater management, and energy.

Egypt and Germany shared a trade volume of roughly 5 billion euros last year, former German Ambassador Cyrill Nunn said in remarks to media outlets earlier this year.

This makes Germany the second-biggest trading partner to Egypt among the countries of the European Union, he added.