Egyptian Minister of Interior Mohamed Ibrahim met on Sunday with the German ambassador Hansjörg Haber to discuss the development of the cooperation between Egypt’s and Germany’s security apparatuses, which includes exchange of information about “terrorist elements”.
An interior ministry statement said that the German ambassador praised the security situation in Egypt, describing it as “one of the few countries enjoying stability in the region ”. In turn, this has encouraged the German government “to engage in a process of political cooperation” with Egypt.
The interior ministry also stressed the continuation of efforts to secure diplomatic residences and tourists sites.
The German embassy in Cairo declined to comment on the interior ministry’s statement.
However, the German ambassador told Daily News Egypt on 5 November that Germany is concerned about Egypt’s “implementation of the constitution” in regards to provisions protecting human rights. He also said that a strong civil society is a “stabilising element…especially in a post-conflict nation” and highlighted the need for the opening of “public space”, as opposed to driving opinions underground, which he believed could lead to “radicalisation”.
Haber added that, while Germany supports Egypt’s fight against terrorism, the Egyptian government has not provided enough evidence that the Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist organisation.
