Italy’s Meloni hails EU-Egypt agreement as key to managing migration flows

ROME

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said an agreement signed Sunday between the European Union and Egypt is the best way to tackle irregular migration flows.

Meloni was among the European leaders who attended a ceremony in Cairo where a €7.4 billion ($8.05 billion) financial package to support Egypt was signed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

She expressed pride in Italy's role in making the agreement happen.

"It is the best way to cope with the migratory flow, and we appreciate Egypt's efforts in this regard," she said.

Meloni also recalled Italy's Mattei Plan, which includes development initiatives for Africa, aiming to assist origin and transit states in managing human traffickers through investments and incentives.

“Italy has a project with African states which is under construction and amounts to €5 billion, and Egypt is part of it,” she said.

She said that efforts are being made to establish an international alliance against human traffickers.

Meloni also highlighted common challenges faced by the region, including food, water, energy security and development.

*Alperen Aktas contributed to the story from Istanbul