Sameh Shoukry headed to Europe on Sunday with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations and economic ties with visits to Berlin, Paris and Rome. The foreign minister is expected to meet French President Francois Hollande and consult with Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and members of the French business community, according to a Sunday statement from the Egyptian ministry. Shoukry is expected to discuss increasing cooperation in the areas of trade, investment and tourism, as the Egyptian government looks to bolster the ailing domestic economic situation. The meetings in Europe are also aimed at discussing the latest developments in the Middle East region with an emphasis on the crisis in Libya, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the crises in Syria and Iraq. He will also discuss "issues related to terrorism and the threat to international security and stability", said the foreign ministry. In Berlin, Shoukry will meet his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Gerd Muller and German parliamentary leaders. Shoukry's visit to Italy, Egypt's largest European trading partner, will include meetings with his Italian counterpart Federica Mogherini and Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the House of Representatives Fabrizio Cicchitto. The foreign minister's tour is scheduled to end on 3 September.
