AS AL-AHRAM Weekly went to press President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi was leaving for Germany for a two-day visit. According to presidential sources, Al-Sisi is expected to sign four agreements in the field of energy that will help boost power supplies, reports Reem Leila. On Wednesday Al-Sisi was scheduled to meet with German President Joachim Gauck at the Bellevue presidential palace. Later the same day he was due to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Augmenting mutual relations, combating terrorism and the latest developments in the Middle East were expected to top the two leaders' agenda. The signing of the four energy sector agreements will follow the closing session of the German-Egyptian Economic Forum and Joint Economic Committee, at which Al-Sisi is expected to deliver a speech. The agreements, with German multinational Siemens, will lead to an increase in Egypt's generating capacity of 10 thousand megawatts, or a third of current consumption. It was last March that Merkel invited Al-Sisi to Germany. When the invitation was criticised by some German politicians, government spokesman Steffen Seibert briefed the German press on the central role Egypt plays in securing stability in the Middle East. “Egypt is essential for the region's stability. Despite differences, we believe it is essential to continue talking with them and reach points of agreement,” said Seibert. On 19 May the President of the Bundestag Norbert Lammert announced that he had cancelled a planned meeting with Al-Sisi over concerns about human rights violations in Egypt. In response the Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying Cairo had not made plans to meet Lammert and the item was added to Al-Sisi's itinerary by Germany.
