Ashraf AboArafe
The Minister of Foreign Affairs (FA), Sameh Shoukry paid a bilateral visit to the Greek capital, Athens, during which he met with the Greek Prime Minister “Kyriakos Mitsotakis” and the Minister of Foreign Affairs “Nikos Dendias”, where they discussed various aspects of bilateral relations and ways to advance them, in addition to discussing a number of Regional and international files of common interest.
In a statement by Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesman and director of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he indicated that Minister Sameh Shoukry started his visit by meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, where the two ministers held a closed session, followed by expanded bilateral discussions with the participation of the delegations of the two countries, which dealt with various aspects of bilateral relations. and regional and international issues of interest. During the talks, Minister Shoukry conveyed the Egyptian government’s interest in facilitating the flow of Greek investments to the Egyptian market, increasing the volume of trade exchange, and working to overcome the obstacles facing Greek companies in Egypt, stressing the importance of relying on Egypt as a starting point for the Arab and African market.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman stated that the two sides praised the joint projects in the field of green hydrogen production and new and renewable energy, especially the electrical interconnection project between the two countries, which enables Egypt to contribute to strengthening the energy security of the European continent and enhances its ability to produce and export energy in a way that achieves the common interest of both sides. . In connection with regional cooperation, the talks dealt with ways to enhance cooperation within the framework of the Eastern Mediterranean Forum, and the tripartite cooperation mechanism that brings together Egypt, Greece and Cyprus, which has become a role model in the field of regional cooperation mechanisms to confront and address the escalating regional challenges in the Middle East and the Mediterranean regions. The two sides agreed on the importance of completing the exchange of visions on ways to develop the fields of bilateral and tripartite cooperation in order to achieve more security and stability for the three countries and contribute to strengthening the bonds of joint cooperation.
Regarding the foreign minister’s meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid revealed that it reflected the depth and strength of the strategic friendship between Egypt and Greece, which have multiple political, economic and cultural foundations, in addition to the extended historical ties and geographical convergence that contributed to the formulation of common interests. And the converging visions between the two countries. In this context, Minister Sameh Shoukry conveyed a verbal message from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, to the Prime Minister of Greece, “Kyriakos Mitsotakis”, confirming the strength and durability of the strategic partnership between Egypt and Greece, and appreciating the continuous growth of these relations on various political and economic levels in order to achieve interests of the two friendly countries. During the meeting, the Foreign Minister affirmed Egypt’s aspiration to explore more new areas of joint cooperation, which in turn requires working together to develop aspects of this cooperation in a way that contributes to making it a role model in the field of cooperation relations between friendly countries.
Ambassador Abu Zeid concluded his remarks, explaining that the Foreign Minister’s meetings in Athens also dealt with a number of regional and international issues of common interest to the two countries, especially the current escalation in the Palestinian territories, the Russian/Ukrainian crisis, developments in Syria, and other developments on the regional scene. Minister Shoukry was keen to inform the Greek officials of the results of the contacts conducted by Egypt to achieve calm between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
The Foreign Minister’s talks also touched on efforts to address the phenomenon of illegal immigration across the Mediterranean, combating terrorism, and coordinating security and military cooperation between the two countries.
