German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrived in Egypt on Saturday Saturday at the beginning of a trip to Africa that will include stops in Ghana and Angola. No German head of state had ever visited Angola before him.
Steinmeier finally visited the African continent in December 2024.
Egyptian President President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sissi has invited the German President to attend the official opening of the main Egyptian museum in Cairo. This museum is built within sight of the pyramids of Giza.
The archaeological museum displays more than 100,000 objects from Pharaonic, Greek and Roman antiquity. For the first time, the complete burial equipment of Boy Tutankhamun will be on display, including his golden death mask.
Steinmeier was accompanied by his wife Elke Büdenbender at the opening of the Museum.
Lectures on intermediate subjects
Steinmeier intends to use the opportunity in Cairo for talks with Al-Sissi and other visiting world leaders.
Shortly after his arrival in Cairo, Steinmeier met with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Talks with both leaders are expected to focus on the situation in the Middle East following a tense standoff between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
According to the office of the Federal President in Berlin, with subsequent visits to Ghana and Angola, Steinmeier intends to acknowledge the regional commitment of both states to stability and peace in West Africa.
Political cooperation with them should be strengthened, and cooperation in the fields of economy, science and culture be increased, it said.
Both Ghana and Angola are political instruments in their region and can be economically viable in a favorable global economic environment, the Presidency added.
Close cooperation with Accra
Politically, Ghana is a democratic majority and therefore, the most peaceful country in West Africa. There has been a very close cooperation between Germany and Ghana for decades.
Steinmeier has visited Ghana as President in 2017, but Angola has never been visited by a German head of state.
Angola is also seen as an important political and economic partner for Berlin. The country currently holds the Chair of the African Union (AU), the most important organization of African nations with 55 members.
Angola is rich in resources
Angola is the world’s fourth largest diamond producer and has large, untapped deposits of the critical raw material needed by the German economy. Angola is an oil rich country, with 90% of its exports being crude oil.
Germany also mainly has oil and gas resources from the country of about 38 million people.
Steinmeier accompanies his journey through business referrals.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Buedenbender greet the Minister of Public Affairs of Caimy Shimy (R) at Cairo International Airport, upon their arrival to go to the opening museum (GEM). Bernd von jutrczenzanka / dpa
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (L) meets Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the hotel, during the opening ceremony of the Great Egyptian Museum (GEM). Bernd von jutrczenzanka / dpa
