German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to arrive in Cairo Thursday on a two-day visit to meet with Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, and to inaugurate with her counterpart the first phase of a Siemens megaproject.
The two leaders are scheduled to hold a press conference shortly after their meeting.
Sisi and Merkel will inaugurate the first phase of a project, run by the German company Siemens, to build three new power plants in Egypt.
On her first visit to the country since 2007, Merkel is scheduled to meet Al-Azhar's Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb and Coptic patriarch Pope Tawadros II.
In a press conference two days ahead of the visit, Germany's Ambassador to Cairo Julius Georg Luy said illegal migration and combating terrorism would be among the key issues the leaders discuss, adding that Germany supports Egypt in fighting terrorism both domestically and abroad.
Egypt and Germany have strengthened economic and political ties over the past few years.
In November, the first German passenger flight arrived at Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport, putting an end to the European country's one-year travel ban to the Red Sea resort city after a Russian passenger plane crashed in Sinai in 2015.
El-Sisi met with the German chancellour in May, 2015 during his first official visit to Europe.
In 2015, German company Siemens signed an 8 billion euro ($9.05 billion) deal with Egypt to build gas and wind power plants.
Germany has also begun supplying Egypt with submarines, delivering in 2016 a submarine built by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. Two more submarines destined for Egypt are currently under construction.
