Alexandria hosted a business lunch in honor of European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas and EU Ambassador Christian Berger, in the presence of Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASCAME) President Ahmed El Wakil and Secretary General of the Confederation of Egyptian European Business Associations (CEEBA) Alaa Ezz.
The high-level event was attended by high-level officials from DG HOME, the European External Action Service and the EU Delegation, the Board of Directors of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, the consulates of the EU Member States and the high-level members of the Greek community in Alexandria.
Discussions covered EU-Egypt and Euro-Mediterranean cooperation on all fronts with a particular focus on economic cooperation and migration, said Ahmed El Wakil, adding that the Vice-President is tasked with promoting the European way of life, tackling migration, safety, health, skills, education, culture, sports and combating anti-Semitism.
Vice-President Schinas said: “While our member states are busy managing the arrival of over 5 million people from Ukraine, as well as 2-3 million nationals from non-EU countries, who are entering the EU legally alongside the army of illegal migration , but this does not preclude the need to lay the foundations for a sustainable and common approach to labor migration to meet the EU’s long-term skills needs. With today’s initiatives, we recognize that legal migration has a positive impact all round: it gives those who wish to migrate the opportunity to improve their lives, while at the same time providing more skilled workers to the receiving countries, which in turn create the economy for all boost.” He added that “cooperation in tackling illegal migration from Mediterranean countries is a must, both as a source and as a transit”.
EU Ambassador Christian Berger added that establishing a mechanism to encourage legal migration is of paramount importance for Egypt, especially since remittances from Egyptian expats are the main source of foreign exchange, worth over US$32 billion a year.
Alaa Ezz explained that the discussions included the creation of mechanisms to source EU needs, the screening and training of the required workforce through various Team Europe TVET initiatives, incorporating language and soft skills to facilitate their integration and the prevent China Town Syndrome. Furthermore, the establishment of a pan-Euro-Mediterranean certification scheme will not only simplify the process and ensure quality, but will also be an essential tool to attract foreign direct investment, support Egyptian companies and create high-paying jobs, and increase the income of Egyptian workers Non-EU countries such as the GCC.
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