The Egyptian parliament headed by speaker Ali Abdul Aal on Tuesday received the European Parliament’s Mashreq Delegation, led by MEP Marisa Matias, in the delegation’s first official visit since 2009, according to a statement by the European Delegation to Egypt.
“[The visit 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,” read the statement published on Tuesday.
The refugee crisis remains a major topic on both sides of the partnership’s agenda. “Stabilisation is a common challenge faced by the EU and Egypt. 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 statement read.
This comes after the Egyptian parliament’s numerous efforts to reengage different divisions of the European Parliament and international parliaments, after more than three years of absence amid the political turmoil that followed the 25 January revolution in 2011 and the transitional period that followed.
