Brussels played host to a diplomatic milestone this week as leaders from the European Union and Egypt gathered for their first-ever EU-Egypt summit, marking a new era of cooperation between the 27-member bloc and its North African neighbor. The high-level event, held on October 22 and 23, 2025, brought together European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who jointly presented a series of pivotal agreements that underscore the deepening ties between Cairo and Brussels.
At the summit’s core was the formalization of the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership (SCP), first signed in March 2024. According to the European Commission, this agreement lays out six pillars for collaboration: political relations, economic stability, trade and investment, migration and mobility, security, and demography and human capital. Backed by a €7.4 billion financial and investment package for 2024-2027, the SCP aims to foster stability, peace, and prosperity across the Mediterranean region.
“The EU-Egypt partnership is stronger than ever before. Our shared vision of cooperation and true partnership between Egypt, Europe and the wider Mediterranean is becoming a reality,” declared Ursula von der Leyen during the summit, as reported by the European Commission. She added, “Today is a testament to the hard work and dedication to achieving this, with our first EU-Egypt summit and the agreements we sign. This is the direct result of the ambitious Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership we signed last year—delivering new investments and concrete opportunities for people and businesses across Egypt and Europe.”
The summit’s headline agreements included a memorandum of understanding for a second macro-financial assistance (MFA) operation to Egypt worth €4 billion, presented by Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, Rania Al-Mashat. This comes on top of a €1 billion loan disbursed in December 2024, bringing total MFA support to €5 billion—the lion’s share of the broader €7.4 billion package.
These funds, the European Commission explained, are designed to address Egypt’s pressing external financing needs while supporting ambitious economic reforms. The policy actions outlined in the MoU focus on three main pillars: promoting macroeconomic stability and resilience, improving the business environment and competitiveness, and supporting Egypt’s green transition.
Another key agreement, signed by Commissioner Dubravka Šuica and Minister Al-Mashat, allocated €75 million in EU grants to support socio-economic reforms at the local level. This program aims to boost access to essential services such as health, education, water, and sanitation, while strengthening social safety nets—particularly for women and youth.
Scientific collaboration also received a major boost. Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva and Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty inked an agreement formally associating Egypt with Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation program. This move opens new channels for joint research and technological advancement between Egyptian and European institutions.
Beyond these headline agreements, the European Commission announced three additional financial support operations for 2025. These include €110.5 million for sustainable development and skills training, €50 million for green transition investments via the Neighbourhood Investment Platform, and the operationalization of a €200 million package for migration management.
The summit was more than just a signing ceremony. Under the auspices of Presidents von der Leyen and el-Sissi, a High-Level Event on Investments, Competitiveness and Innovation brought together leading political, business, and research figures from Europe and Egypt. The event, a follow-up to the successful EU-Egypt Investment Conference and the launch of the EU-Egypt Investment Mechanism, set the stage for a major business and investor roundtable planned for Cairo in 2026.
Trade remains a cornerstone of the relationship. The EU-Egypt Association Agreement, in force since 2004, has created a free trade area that, according to the European Council, accounted for €32.5 billion in goods traded in 2024. The EU is Egypt’s top trading partner, making up 22% of Egypt’s trade—€19.9 billion in exports and €12.6 billion in imports. Both sides expressed a commitment to modernizing their trade agreement to better address today’s challenges and stimulate further investment.
Migration and regional security were also front and center. Egypt, home to more than 9.5 million foreigners fleeing crises from countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, and Syria, has long been a linchpin for migration management in the region. President el-Sissi emphasized at the summit, “Egypt plays a vital role in preventing illegal migration. We stopped the departure of any boats from Egypt in September 2016. And Egypt, at this time, hosts more than 9.5 million foreigners who have arrived in Egypt fleeing from crises in their home countries.” Von der Leyen echoed this view, noting, “We know we can count on Egypt’s active support and welcome your intention to convene a reconstruction conference. This is a pivotal moment for the entire Mediterranean. The future of our region is being rewritten before our eyes. Europe and Egypt both have a clear stake in shaping that future.”
The summit was not without its complexities. While EU leaders praised Egypt’s efforts in migration control and regional stability, human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, urged Brussels to press Cairo on issues such as arbitrary detentions and restrictions on free speech. Ahead of the summit, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas met with el-Sissi to reaffirm cooperation on migration, but calls for greater attention to human rights remained persistent in the background.
Geopolitical challenges also shaped the agenda. The ongoing war in Gaza, the crisis in the Red Sea due to Houthi rebel attacks disrupting Suez Canal revenues, and broader regional instability all loomed large. The leaders’ joint statement welcomed the agreement on the first phase of the Comprehensive Plan to end the Gaza conflict and commended Egypt’s mediation efforts. António Costa, President of the European Council, remarked, “After two years of death and destruction, it brought hope to the Palestinian people. A hope that now needs to transform into lasting peace and reconstruction.”
The summit underscored the EU and Egypt’s shared ambitions for green and digital transitions, with commitments to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement, and plans to invest in renewable energy—particularly solar and wind—alongside digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
As the summit concluded, both sides looked ahead to a future of deepened ties, not just in economics and trade, but in shared security, migration management, and technological innovation. The agreements signed and the dialogue begun in Brussels signal a partnership that aspires to be as resilient as it is ambitious, even as the region faces turbulent waters.
For Egypt and the EU, the message is clear: cooperation is not just desirable, it is essential in a rapidly changing world. The first EU-Egypt summit may have closed its doors, but the journey toward a more integrated and stable Mediterranean has only just begun.
