Egypt Daily News – President El-Sisi said that his talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the current efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region. During a joint press conference with Mitsotakis on Wednesday evening, he expressed hope that the positive atmosphere could be used to resolve disputes between coastal countries in a way that maximizes the benefits of natural resources for the people of the region.
He noted that they discussed developments in Syria, Lebanon, Libya, and Sudan, as well as maritime security in the Red Sea, in addition to the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
He explained that “the two sides share identical views on the need to resolve disputes through peaceful means, in a way that preserves the unity and sovereignty of states and protects the rights of their peoples.”
He also highlighted the agreement on the importance of continuing coordination and consultation between Egypt and Greece on all levels regarding these issues.
He affirmed Egypt’s strong commitment to strengthening cooperation with Greece, expressing confidence that the High-Level Cooperation Council will serve as an effective platform for consolidating the strategic partnership, benefiting both peoples and contributing to security, stability, and prosperity in the region.
Today, President El-Sisi is making an official visit to Greece as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and joint cooperation between the two countries.
He will head the Egyptian delegation at the first meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council between Egypt and Greece, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chairing the Greek side. The council is expected to discuss ways to continue enhancing and developing bilateral relations across various fields, particularly in energy, trade exchange, and economic cooperation.
The visit will also include the signing of a joint declaration on the strategic partnership between the two countries, along with several memorandums of understanding aimed at boosting cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
Ambassador Mohamed El-Shenawy, the spokesperson for the Presidency of the Republic, added that the President’s meetings with Greek officials will also address the latest regional and international developments of mutual concern, as well as exchange views on these issues.
Speech of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
Your Excellency, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, esteemed Prime Minister of the friendly Hellenic Republic,
I am pleased to welcome you today as a distinguished guest during your official visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt. This visit reflects our continuous keenness to exchange views and perspectives on ways to develop and deepen bilateral cooperation between our two friendly countries in various fields, in addition to consulting on regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As you know, Egypt and Greece share distinguished bonds of friendship that have deep roots in history. The interaction between the Pharaonic and Hellenistic civilizations began nearly three thousand years ago and has made a unique contribution to the development of human civilization through the ages.
In recent years, there has been a noticeable growth in the volume of cooperation and joint coordination on many issues and topics at various political, economic, and military levels, whether bilaterally or within the framework of the trilateral cooperation mechanism between Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece. This unique cooperation has become a model to be emulated in achieving regional cooperation and integration.
I have reviewed with His Excellency the Prime Minister various aspects of bilateral cooperation, and we agreed on the importance of achieving a qualitative leap in all aspects of our relations, especially increasing the value of trade exchange, encouraging the flow of Greek investments, activating cooperation in the energy sector, whether related to electricity interconnection projects or in the field of natural gas.
Additionally, we discussed supporting tourism cooperation, benefiting from the accumulated experiences of both countries in this important sector, and working to resume cruise ship movements between our ports at the earliest opportunity.
Our meeting today was an important opportunity to exchange views and coordinate positions on regional issues of mutual interest. I affirmed to His Excellency the Prime Minister Egypt’s firm position regarding the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean region, which is based on the necessity for all countries to adhere to respecting international law and the United Nations Charter, especially the principles of non-interference in internal affairs and respecting the sovereignty and territorial waters of states. I emphasized our solidarity with Greece against any practices that may violate its sovereignty.
In this context, His Excellency the Prime Minister and I agreed on the importance of enhancing the existing trilateral cooperation mechanism between Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece to continue political coordination and technical cooperation among the three countries.
We emphasized the necessity of maximizing the benefits of this mechanism, which uniquely brings our three countries together, especially due to the convergence of common interests aimed at achieving security and stability in the region.
We also discussed the latest developments regarding the Palestinian issue, where I affirmed to His Excellency the Greek Prime Minister the necessity of concerted international efforts to provide the necessary support to the Gaza Strip, which has been severely affected by the recent Israeli attacks.
This includes considering Egypt’s initiative for the reconstruction of Gaza in full coordination with the Palestinian Authority and working towards bringing both the Palestinian and Israeli sides back to the negotiation table to reach a final settlement based on international legitimacy resolutions.
We also addressed the latest developments related to the Libyan file, where we agreed to support our Libyan brothers in conducting the scheduled electoral entitlement at the end of this year and removing any obstacles that may prevent the elections from taking place on time. We emphasized the importance of the departure of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libyan territory without delay and dismantling armed militias to ensure the return of Libya to its people, the restoration of its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and stability.
I also briefed His Excellency the Prime Minister on the outcome of the trilateral negotiations regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) file, emphasizing the importance of reaching a binding legal agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD and the necessity for the international community to play a serious role in this file to maintain regional stability.
Your Excellency the Prime Minister,
I welcome you again to Cairo and look forward to seeing further cooperation and coordination between our two countries in the coming period, achieving prosperity and development for our two friendly peoples.
Thank you.
