Tomorrow, March 17, the President of the European Commission and the Prime Ministers of Greece, Italy and Belgium will travel to Egypt to provide economic support and try to strengthen the alliance against the consequences of regional problems.
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| Any instability in Egypt would have serious consequences for the region. (Source: AP) |
Fighting in the Gaza Strip, civil war in Sudan, falling revenues from the Suez Canal and tourism, among other issues, have posed serious risks to the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the European Union (EU).
Any instability in Egypt would have serious consequences for the region, including a wave of refugees. The North African country already hosts nearly 500,000 refugees from Sudan.
The Palestinians leaving Gaza will put more pressure on the Egyptian government and increase the number of refugees heading to Europe. This explains why the Europeans want to avoid the worst of the situation in Egypt and sign an agreement on managing refugees and migrants, similar to the ones signed with Tunisia and Mauritania.
Greece will face an immediate challenge as the number of people arriving from Egypt increases dramatically. In the past three months, around 1,500 people, mostly young people, have arrived on the islands of Gavdos and Crete, exceeding the total number for 2023. That means people cannot live in the country of the pyramids for long.
The situation is expected to become more difficult for refugees and migrants. The EU expects to provide €7.4 billion (in grants and loans until the end of 2027) to support governments in dealing with the consequences of regional problems.
However, finance and commitment are only part of the solution. This requires strong diplomatic and military engagement from the EU to prevent escalation in the Gaza Strip and the Red Sea. Based on the results, the EU’s efforts so far have not been enough.
The warming of relations between Türkiye and Egypt has increased Ankara’s influence in Cairo and Libya, while complicating relations between Greece and Egypt. However, direct EU involvement in Egypt has given Greece valuable political weight.
Also on March 17, Mr. David Barnea, Director of Israel's Mossad Intelligence Agency, continued to discuss the ceasefire in Gaza with the Qatari Prime Minister and Egyptian officials in Doha, Qatar. The sides are expected to discuss remaining disagreements between Israel and Hamas in the ceasefire talks, including the number of Palestinian prisoners that could be released in exchange for Israeli hostages still held by Hamas as well as humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. |
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