Egyptian president stresses importance of strategic relations with Greece

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has stressed the importance of strategic relations with Greece, while expressing Cairo’s desire to strengthen cooperation with Athens in a wide range of areas, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency published in the country’s flagship state newspaper Al-Ahram.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias expressed his country’s appreciation for its strong ties with Egypt, describing them as an example of constructive cooperation between Mediterranean states both on a bilateral and multilateral level, the statement said, in reference to cooperation between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt as well as the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF).

According to the statement, Dendias reiterated Greece’s support for the “Cairo Declaration,” a Cairo-brokered plan to end the years-long civil war in Libya.

Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shukri were holding extended talks in Cairo on Thursday over the demarcation of maritime zones, developments in Libya and the broader eastern Mediterranean issues.

Earlier, Dendias was received by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

In an op-ed in Egypt’s Al-Ahram newspaper on the occasion of his visit to Cairo, Dendias expressed hope that the two countries would push forward with a deal on maritime zones.

He also warned that Turkey’s “expansionist and revisionist policy” undermines regional security and stability and peace in Libya, and “manipulate the Arab world according to its own hegemonic aspirations.”