Following an invitation from President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi, Bavarian State Premier Dr. Markus Söder travelled to the Arabic Republic of Egypt from the 2nd to the 4th of October.
The program included a one-on-one meeting with Egypt’s Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, a meeting with a total of five Egyptian ministers, and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding concerning hydrogen production. Both Bavaria and Egypt pledged to cooperate more closely in this field. To do so, the partners plan to build a task force in Cairo that facilitates exchange of ideas and members of the workforce. “I hope that we, Bavaria and Egypt, can open a new chapter in our collaboration”, Dr. Söder said in a later interview.
Additionally, the State Premier and the industry delegation that accompanied him visited the Siemens project “Suez Canal on Rails”, in which a high-speed train network is being built between the port cities on the Red Sea, Cairo, and Alexandria. As economic cooperation is an important pillar of Africa’s Bavaria Package, Dr. Söder showed himself impressed, both by the possibilities Egypt offers for Bavarian firms, and by the fact that the country is developing more quickly and more thoroughly than many Germans think.
But the delegation did not only put its focus on economic cooperation: Dr. Söder was also welcomed by three Coptic-Catholic bishops to visit the church St. Leo the Great, the only papal seminary that serves all catholic churches in Egypt. Together with missio Munich, he promised to support the seminary with nearly 30.000 Euros. This money will serve to fund a project for the inclusion of children with disabilities.
To mark the German Unity Day on the 3rd of October, the State Premier and German Ambassador Jürgen Schulz jointly hosted a large reception at the German Embassy in Cairo. The event served as a celebration of traditional German culture and showcased the Bavarian way of life, including typical Bavarian music and cuisine.
And of course – there cannot be a trip to Egypt without a visit to the Pyramids. At 6 am, Dr. Söder got to enjoy the famous monuments all by himself. Alas, not quite by himself: He was joined by camels Valentino, Casanova, and Micky Mouse. And when Valentino licked the face of a reporter, the State Premier had to laugh so hard that he could not finish his interview. Is there a better way to start the day?