By KYIV. Oct 31 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The European Union is considering the possibility of using grain supplies from Ukraine to Egypt as part of an agreement between Brussels and Cairo on limiting migration and financial support in connection with the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Financial Times writes, citing informed sources in the EU.
Details of the agreement are secret, but it could include provisions on food imports, which have been a major economic risk for Cairo, with its population of 110 million, even before the Gaza conflict, the report said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after an EU summit on Friday that discussed EU migration that the agreement would be in line with a similar document reached in early 2023 with Tunisia, which included funding for border management and economic support.
According to President of the European Council Charles Michel, Brussels is considering the possibility of using corridors created for the export of grain from Ukraine to deliver agricultural products to Egypt. European officials were working with Kyiv to do something extremely beneficial for Cairo, Michel said.
According to the FT, the bilateral agreement does not mention migration from the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian authorities have made it clear to the EU that they are ready, under certain circumstances, to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, but under no circumstances will they allow people without dual citizenship from Gaza into Egypt.
