German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier thanked Egypt for its role as a mediator in the war in Gaza during his visit to the country on Wednesday.
In a joint statement with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi in Cairo, Steinmeier also called for further efforts to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The statement expressed concern about the risk of the conflict spreading further into a broader regional flashpoint.
“Any actor who has influence on both sides should use that influence,” Steinmeier said.
Steinmeier said Germany is doing what it can, “and I know that Egypt also plays a particularly important role in this, a role that we in Germany very much appreciate.”
Al-Sissi, in turn, called on Europe to play its role in the conflict and put pressure on Israel to reach a ceasefire. He also accused Israel of using hunger as a weapon against the Palestinian population in Gaza.
The fact that the German government is so closely aligned with Israel has cost Germany respect and sympathy in the region. Yet the Egyptian president refrained from publicly criticizing Germany on Wednesday.
Steinmeier also avoided criticizing the Egyptian government’s human rights record.
Critics and human rights groups have repeatedly criticized al-Sissi’s regime for its suppression of dissent, harassment of critics and arbitrary justice.
However, Steinmeier referred to his conversations with civil society organizations in Egypt and German political foundations: “My impression was that this country has a very active civil society, with self-confident, ambitious people who want the best for themselves and their country.”
Steinmeier highlighted Germany’s humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, claiming that Germany is also the world’s second-largest donor to Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
“We have tripled our aid since 2023,” Steinmeier said.
Al-Sissi, for his part, pointed to the heavy burden of refugees in his country, which had already taken in “more than 9 million guests” from Sudan, Libya and Yemen.
Steinmeier and al-Sissi also referred to the close bilateral relations between Germany and Egypt. Al-Sissi expressed his desire to expand cooperation, for example in the economic field.
“We warmly welcome German companies,” he said, assuring potential business partners that their investments in Egypt would be protected.
The two countries have also been working together in the field of education for a long time. In Cairo alone, there are seven German schools abroad and 29 other partner schools with German lessons. About 420,000 people in Egypt learn German.
Steinmeier’s trip is the first visit by a German president to Egypt in 25 years.
