Remarks at the reception on the occasion of the visit of the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries to Egypt

Distinguished Members of the European and Egyptian Parliaments

Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps

Distinguished Members of the Egyptian administration

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends of EU-Egypt cooperation

As the Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union Delegation to Egypt and on behalf of the European Union, I welcome you to our reception tonight.

This reception is held on the occasion of the visit to Egypt of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries.

It is a great pleasure and distinct honour to welcome the members of this Delegation which is led by Ms Marisa Matias.

At the same time I welcome all who want to ensure the EU and Egypt cooperate closely, in the interest of both sides. Among them are the representatives of the Egyptian Parliament, of the Egyptian administration, of the Diplomatic community, and of course also of civil society.

This is the first official visit of the European Parliament’s Mashreq Delegation since November 2009. It follows the visit of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee at the beginning of this year. It provides a new, precious opportunity for contacts between the European and Egyptian Members of Parliament.

The Parliament of Egypt was elected at the end of the last year following the referendum on a new Constitution and the election of a President.

The visit of an inter-parliamentary Delegation such as the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq provides a direct channel for the EU side and Egypt to compare notes on the state of play of the situation and of our relations, to identify challenges and opportunities and to explore possible next steps.

Improving mutual understanding and deepening relations between the EU and Egypt is crucially important in an increasingly interconnected world.

Developments at the doorsteps of Europe may well affect Europe itself, but the Euro-Mediterranean partnership offers many opportunities.

This is clearly acknowledged by the European Union’s new Global Strategy. It entails a redoubling of our commitment to the stability and prosperity of our neighbours.

Egypt is an important partner for the EU, a strategic player in this region and one of the leaders of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.

The EU and Egypt as key partners will wish to cooperate in advancing goals set out in Egypt's "Sustainable Development Strategy – Vision 2030" with a view to building a stable and prosperous Egypt.

We also have a shared interest in reinforcing cooperation in foreign policy at bilateral, regional and international levels.

And stabilisation is a common challenge faced by the EU and Egypt, and we want to engage on this topic too. We recognise that establishing a modern, democratic state that delivers benefits equitably to all people is essential for this.

On the basis of the EU-Egypt Association Agreement and in the context of the revised Neighbourhood Policy, we want to maximise the benefits of our cooperation.

Exploring the possibilities of cooperation, as cooperation itself, naturally entails direct contacts between people from both sides of the Mediterranean. This is why the visit of the European Parliament's Delegation is so important.

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear friends,

We have gathered here tonight to celebrate the opportunity that the visit of a Delegation of the European Parliament to Egypt entails.

In our respective roles, we all have a responsibility to ensure that collectively we make the best of the EU-Egypt partnership. Let us work together and redouble our efforts to ensure that we succeed.

Thank you very much for your attention,

Enjoy the evening.

Mr. Reinhold Brender

Chargé d'Affaires a.i.

European Union Delegation to Egypt