Greek FM leaves Cairo after discussing boosting ties

CAIRO – 20 March 2018: Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias left Cairo late Tuesday returning home after a short visit where he met President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and a number of high-profile officials.

Kotzias discussed with Sisi boosting bilateral relations, and exchanged views on regional and international issues. The two sides asserted on the importance of enhancing cooperation between the tripartite Mediterranean neighbors; Egypt, Greece and Cyprus, especially in the field of energy.

Egypt's presidential spokesperson Bassam Rady said that Sisi stressed his keenness to develop bilateral ties with Greece in the way that serves the interests of both countries. The president also expressed his appreciation to the Greek people’s support to Egypt in the wake of June 30 revolution, praising bilateral relations between the two countries within the framework of the tripartite cooperation with Cyprus.

For his part, the Greek foreign minister said that his country seeks to develop its historical ties with Egypt given its regional power in the Middle East and major role in countering terrorism and extremism, Rady said.

Kotzias also praised the Egypt's progress in achieving security and stability and the unprecedented leap in all fields, especially in infrastructure and the mega projects carried out during the past four years.

He added that Egypt, Greece and Cyprus gave the international community a model for successful international relations and cooperation between countries.

Since 2014, several tripartite summits were held at the three countries’ capitals in which several topics were tackled, including coordination between the three countries, as well as enhancing the relations in the political, economic, trade, security and tourism fields.

These meeting resulted in signing a number of agreements in different fields, notably the establishment of a 1,707-kilometre sub-sea power cable that will link the electricity grids of Egypt and Cyprus to that of Greece.