Germany has built three submarines for Egypt in a landmark navy deal that was first announced in 2012.
According to German Ambassador Julius Georg Luy, one submarine was delivered to Egypt on December 10 while two others are awaiting delivery from Germany, reported MENA.
The submarines were built by the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Company in the northern German coastal city of Kiel.
The submarine which was delivered to Egypt on December 10 is a Type-209/1400. The Type-209 is 64-meters long and is capable of firing missiles against both land and naval targets. It remains unclear whether the other two submarines are also Type-209.
German-Egyptian Relations
The German Ambassador’s comments come just weeks before Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is set to visit Berlin. The Egyptian Foreign Minister will visit Germany on January 11 to discuss bilateral relations with German officials.
In a statement, Germany’s Ambassador to Egypt said that both Berlin and Cairo have common interests in confronting issues of regional stability and terrorism. The German Ambassador added that relations between the two countries had been strong in 2015.
In 2015, German exports to Egypt increased by 18.5 percent in just six months while Egyptian exports to Germany increased by 12.5 percent, said the German Ambassador. Meanwhile, German companies in Egypt employ 23,000 people.
The German Ambassador added that Germany supports Egypt’s path towards a new economic and social vision and would continue to support Egypt.
Earlier this year, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a visit to Berlin. The two leaders discussed economic and political issues, with Merkel stressing that Egypt “has a prime role in fighting terrorism”.
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