Egyptian and Greek leaders reaffirm stance on Eastern Mediterranean

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi

During a meeting in the Egyptian city of New Alamein on August 3, President El-Sisi and Prime Minister Mitsotakis discussed their vision and views on regional issues of common interest, in line with the two countries' consistent stance in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Egyptian Presidency stated that the EMGF is one of the most important cooperation mechanisms in the current context. The Cairo-based EMGF was established in 2020, comprising eight countries, including Egypt and Greece, with the aim of promoting gas trade between countries in the region.

The Egyptian President and the Greek Prime Minister expressed their desire to strengthen bilateral relations and accelerate the implementation of the agreements and memoranda of understanding recently signed between the two countries. The two leaders affirmed their desire to continue cooperation in the fields of military, economic, cultural, energy, natural gas, grid connection and green transition.

President El-Sisi appreciated Greece's stance towards Egypt both bilaterally and within the framework of the European Union (EU). El-Sisi also praised the "effective" trilateral cooperation with Cyprus. Egypt, Greece and Cyprus have strengthened their trilateral cooperation mechanisms over the past decade, signing numerous cooperation agreements in various fields, including an agreement on electricity grid interconnection signed in October 2021.

For his part, Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis affirmed that Egypt-Greece cooperation has achieved remarkable results in recent years, and expressed his desire to further deepen the relationship between the two countries. Mr. Mitsotakis praised Egypt's prominent role in dealing with the current challenges in the Mediterranean region. The Greek leader highly appreciated Egypt's efforts in dealing with illegal migration in the Mediterranean region.

The Egyptian president and the Greek prime minister also discussed a range of issues of mutual concern, including the global impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and developments in Libya. El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt's support for the political roadmap in Libya, calling for national elections and the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libyan territory.

According to VNA