With the aim of controlling migration flows to Europe they travel on Sunday to Cairo n Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Ministers Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece, Giorgia Meloni of Italy and Alexander de Croix of Belgium (Belgium holds the European presidency). They are reportedly cutting a hefty funding package to stop to come ships with immigrants from the Egyptian shores to Europe.

In Cairo the Euro-Egyptian agreement will be finalized and announced.

It is no coincidence that Mr. Mitsotakis and Georgia Meloni will be in the Egyptian capital, whose countries are under the greatest immigration pressure. They will meet the president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, as reported by the Financial Times and Bloomberg. The EU is ready to allocate €7.4 billion in aid to Egypt, a very significant amount, with Cairo needing this money in order to build a partnership with the North African country, something that Athens insisted on for months.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis has a special relationship with Fatah al-Sisi, as well as the two countries in general. There will be a four-four between the two leaders, and many bilateral issues will be on the table, for example what is happening in the Eastern Mediterranean, with Egypt it is an important ally. It is noted that Cairo is gradually restoring diplomatic channels with Turkey, a development that Athens is monitoring.

A European official involved in preparations for the trip told the FT that the deal is “substantial and of strategic importance”. “We are concerned about two borders: the one between Sudan and Egypt, where Sudanese enter the country, and the border between Egypt and Libya, where people leave,” the newspaper’s source added. A second Brussels official said the deal would redefine some existing EU support programs for Egypt and that the financial subsidy it will last until the end of 2027.