In this context comes the visit of the president of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Egypt, the first such visit in 24 years.

Ambassador Mohamed El Ourabi, former Egyptian foreign minister, told Ahram online that the visit comes as the region now is passing a very critical time amid numerous developments and repercussions, especially also in Europe.

“We should look to the President of Germany and his capacity as a symbol of Germany. The visit means that Germany needs some sort of public relationship because the German position towards the situation in Gaza was negatively received in our region. “

The German government knows the Middle East, with its connections affecting the current situation.

El Ourabi noted that the German president previously served as a special advisor to Chancellor Schröder for many years, followed by a tenure as Germany's foreign minister.

Now as president, he is well acquainted with the dynamics of the region.

He expressed confidence that the president would contribute positively, citing his longstanding recognition of Egypt as a cornerstone of stability in the region.

El Ourabi added that the visit will help facilitate an exchange of views and strengthen bilateral relations. “The German president has been one of the supporters of the Egyptian role for the last 20 years since I was involved in the foreign policy of Germany, and he gives great support in the Egyptian role, and the Egyptian stability in our region,” El Ourabi said.

"The visit will have many good impacts on the bilateral relations. All the informing, critical and chronic issues, which are tabling now in our region will be subject to discussion between the two leaders. Egypt is playing an important role now in all regional crises, and I think that they will be keen to listen to our opinion about our plans towards all these issues and how we can peacefully tackle all these issues," El Ourabi added.

El Ourabi added: "Of course, Gaza will be one of the top topics, the Red Sea, what's going on in Lebanon and of course, Libya, Sudan and Syria. I think the German president will be keen to listen, and he will have a sort of input in all these issues, as well as he will try to emphasize the German role in different issues."

El Ourabi said that bilateral issues will also be one of the main topics, noting that the German-Egyptian relationship is moving in the right direction.

Germany, he added, is playing an important role in infrastructure, building and helping Egypt in different things. The last upgrading between Egypt and the EU in general will also be one of the discussed issues.

“Moreover, the deep and profound relationship between the two countries is always giving us a sort of optimistic view towards the relations between the two countries, and expect more progress in the bilateral relations,” he said.

Khaled Galal, Ambassador of Egypt to Germany, said that the visit has been very long in preparation.

"Certainly, it will be a memorable visit," he noted, highlighting that President Steinmeier is a well-known figure in Egypt who has visited several times as foreign minister and knows the country well. He has been closely involved with developments in Egypt and the Middle East and was instrumental in strengthening relations between Egypt and Germany during his tenure.

Ambassador Galal added that the visit aims to discuss ongoing bilateral relations, which have reached new heights in cooperation. Topics of discussion will include collaboration in education, scientific research, and culture—areas that are priorities in Egyptian-German relations and are vital for the future development of Egyptian youth.

He emphasized that this new generation would serve as a key engine for Egyptian-German cooperation, particularly in addressing Germany's future needs for skilled labour.

Moreover, the visit also will concentrate on certain discussions related to regional and international situations.

It will also address political and economic issues that affect both countries, either in the Middle East or in the wider region of the Mediterranean, which has a direct impact on Europe and, on Germany in particular, he added.

“The economic and trade relations between Egypt and Germany have reached new heights in the last years. For example, Egypt is now the second biggest trading partner of Germany in the MENA region and the Middle East as a whole,” he clarified.

However, it is the largest regional trading partner when excluding oil and gas products, he added. In terms of industrial and agricultural products, Egypt is the biggest trading partner, with trade reaching nearly 8 billion euros, Galal noted.

The ongoing financial and technical cooperation between both nations has reached new heights, Galal said, highlighting the annual economic and technical program through which Germany provides funding for Egyptian projects.

He also underlined the cooperation between the private sectors of both countries. One of these landmark projects is the high-speed train initiative being implemented by Siemens, Galal said.

“This is a mega project declared a strategic project of the German state. It is also one of the landmark projects of Egypt,” he added.

He expressed his hope that an agreement on the operation and maintenance of the new steam train will be signed soon between Deutsche Bahn and the National Tunnel Agency of Egypt.

Such an agreement will ensure the operation and maintenance of these lines and trains for the next 15 years.

On cultural and scientific cooperation, an agreement on higher education is expected to be signed between the 16 federal states and the Ministry of Higher Education here in Egypt, he noted.

Such a deal will facilitate closer collaboration in this important field.

Germany already has two universities operating in Egypt: the German International University, which President Steinmeier will officially inaugurate during his visit, and its predecessor, the German University in Cairo (GUC).

The GUC recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, making it one of the oldest and largest German educational institutions outside Europe, said Galal.

This follows a previous agreement signed a few months ago to build 100 new German schools by the Egyptian private sector, explained Galal.

Outstanding  relations

Egyptian-German relations have deepened, with bilateral cooperation expanding beyond traditional economic, developmental, scientific, and cultural partnerships to include new sectors across various fields.

Germany has always been keen to develop relations with Egypt at all levels, especially during the era of President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi. The volume of trade exchange between Egypt and Germany increased by about 23.6 percent during the past year to reach close to 8 billion Euros, compared to about 5.5 billion Euros in 2022.

The number of German companies investing in Egypt has increased to 1,444 companies with total investments amounting to $3 billion in various sectors.

German companies are contributing to infrastructure projects that align with Egypt's current economic policy, particularly in the fields of energy and civil engineering.

German investments in Egypt aim to bolster employment and achieve sustainable economic development by enhancing vocational education, supporting the private sector, and strengthening the labour market.

Additionally, these investments focus on supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises, with particular emphasis on women and youth.

Moreover, Germany is contributing to water and waste management projects by supporting initiatives in drinking water supply, sanitation, irrigation, agricultural drainage, and waste management.

German participation also extends to renewable energy projects, energy efficiency, and investments, along with consulting and training related to wind and water energy.

Additionally, its efforts focus on combating climate change, addressing immigration, and the high-speed electric train network project being implemented by the German company Siemens.

Cultural, Educational Relations
 

The spread of the German language in Egypt is no longer limited to German schools and the Goethe Institute, as Egyptian public schools have also begun promoting this language for years, especially in secondary schools.

In recent years, Egyptian public schools have witnessed an increasing demand for learning German as a second foreign language.

Egypt seeks to expand the establishment of German schools. Egypt and Germany signed a MoU to establish 100 Egyptian-German schools across the country.

Berlin seeks to increase the number of those learning German in Egypt.

As many as 500,000 Egyptians speak German.