EU foreign ministers have agreed a €20 million support package for Egypt’s armed forces under the European Peace Facility.
The funding is the second EU “assistance measure” for the Egyptian Armed Forces since 2024, bringing total European Peace Facility support for Egypt to €40 million, the Council of the EU declared in a statement on Monday.
It said the measure is intended to strengthen the Egyptian Armed Forces’ capacities linked to national security and stability and the protection of civilians.
More specifically, the Council stressed that the support will increase Egypt’s ability to provide maritime security in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
What the European Peace Facility is
The European Peace Facility is an EU funding instrument created in March 2021 to finance actions under the bloc’s foreign and security policy, including support that builds the military and defence capacities of non-EU countries and regional or international organisations, the Council said.
The EU and Egypt have had an Association Agreement in force since 2004, and signed a Joint Declaration on a “Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership” in 2024.
The Council also pointed to the first EU – Egypt Security and Defence Dialogue, which it said was held in Cairo on 31 March 2026.
