German Ambassador to Egypt Julius Georg Luy said on Thursday that Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is scheduled to hold talks with German officials in Berlin on January 11-14, 2016.

The talks will tackle bilateral relations and ways of boosting them in all fields, Julius told MENA after presenting his credentials to President Abel Fattah El Sisi earlier in the day.

Egyptian-German relations are strong and deeply-rooted, he said, stressing that his country supports Egypt in its fight against terrorism.

Julius noted that the volume of exports between Egypt and Germany increased in 2015, noting that German companies operating in Egypt hire more than 23,000 Egyptians.

He also praised the free trade agreement between Egypt and the European Union, stressing that economic challenges threatening Egypt require more reforms to reduce the fiscal deficit and the public debt.

A German company is currently working on manufacturing two submarines for Egypt, Julius noted.

He also praised steps taken by the Egyptian government to improve the investment climate in Egypt.

Speaking about the recently-formed Egyptian parliament, Julius said it will narrow the gap in the political process after several years of turmoil. He expected more cooperation between Egyptian and German parliaments in the coming period.

Julius called on the Egyptian government to establish small and medium sized projects, considering this matter necessary to create more job opportunities and support the economy.

Contacts have been recently made between Egyptian and German authorities for boosting cooperation in the field of airport security, he noted.

The German government has not issued any travel ban to Egypt, Julius said, adding that German tour operators have taken decisions of cancelling flights to Egypt in line with their security standards and trade restrictions.

Source: MENA