Athens, 04/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton may travel to Egypt on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 April, a European source told this newsletter on Friday 4 April.
On Thursday, Ashton told MEPs that she would no doubt be returning to Egypt, which is preparing for presidential elections on 26 and 27 May. Ashton condemned the 2 April bomb attacks in Cairo that killed at least one person and left several injured. She said it was really important for Egypt to move towards stability in an inclusive society that will enable it to move forward.
Official visit to Cairo to prepare for cooperation
EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle has announced that a European Commission official mission would be sent to Cairo very shortly to try to reach agreement on current cooperation issues between the EU and Egypt so that EU can start preparing programmes for the country. During their meeting, Füle and Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmi discussed bilateral cooperation priorities for 2014 and 2015. The talks also looked at improving implementation of EU-financed projects so that they achieve their mutually agreed objectives and respect EU financial rules, says the European Commission in a press release. The two agreed on the need to ensure the focus was on boosting capacity for preparing structural reforms for sustainable and more inclusive growth and good governance. (CG)