The importance of the recent visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Egypt for the expansion and deepening of Greek-Egyptian strategic cooperation, speaking of yet another success story in bilateral relations, is highlighted by the statement to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, of HE the Ambassador of Egypt to Greece, Omar Amer Youssef. “The visit of the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to Egypt, on March 17, was an important visit, adding another success story to the course of Egypt-Greece relations. We always describe this relationship as a strategic” HE Mr. Youssef said.
He then decodes the importance of the visit, with an emphasis on the establishment of a High Level Cooperation Council, the role of Greece in upgrading Euro-Egyptian relations and dealing with migration flows, citing the reasons why he characterizes it as successful. “First, a joint declaration was signed by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the establishment of a High-Level Cooperation Council with plans to meet regularly every two years to promote closer ties between the two countries. President El- Sisi and Prime Minister Mitsotakis will lead the Council, with the participation of the competent ministers, such as Foreign Affairs, Energy, Tourism, Health, Finance, Environment, Trade and other areas of interest for the two countries,” Ambassador points out.
In fact, he appears confident that the establishment of the High-Level Cooperation Council between Egypt and Greece will pave the way for a new era of enhanced bilateral cooperation and will also facilitate deeper consultations and the exploration of new areas of cooperation, thus strengthening the strategic partnership between Egypt and Greece.
The second reason that makes the Prime Minister’s visit successful is his participation in the EU – Egyptian Summit. “It underlines the importance of Greece’s support to Egypt. The signing of a joint declaration to upgrade relations between Egypt and the European Union to a comprehensive strategic partnership marks a qualitative, landmark change in Egypt-EU relations with deeper cooperation and mutual interests for all parties involved. This upgrade of relations is accompanied by a significant financial package aimed at supporting the Egyptian economy, totaling 4.7 billion euros. The package includes favorable financing, investment guarantees and technical support for the implementation of bilateral cooperation projects, underlining the commitment to mutual development and growth,” he notes.
Excluding Greece’s support and assistance, through its prime minister, for Euro-Egyptian relations, the Egyptian ambassador emphasizes that they are an invaluable contribution to strengthening ties and promoting common goals between Egypt and the EU. In fact, he wanted to underline that Greece’s consistent support to Egypt within the framework of the European Union and its institutions is deeply appreciated.
Third, Ambassador Youssef pointed out, the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Cairo was timely as it provided a platform to address common international and regional challenges. “The two leaders discussed the progress of bilateral cooperation, as well as the situation in Gaza, in particular the unprecedented humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinian people. “Both sides stressed the importance of accelerating aid delivery and achieving a ceasefire in Gaza, ensuring its sustainability and facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into the Palestinian territories,” Ambassador said.
In this light, Omar Amer Youssef expressed Egypt’s firm position against launching military operations in Rafah, recognizing the “potentially disastrous consequences that such actions could bring, including worsening the current situation and jeopardizing efforts to resolution of the Palestinian issue and the establishment of the Palestinian state”.
Fourth, he estimates that the visit also deepened the two countries’ cooperation on the issue of illegal immigration, emphasizing Egypt’s “substantial efforts to limit this phenomenon and its related effects.” He also reiterated Egypt’s commitment “to combating illegal immigration” and emphasized the inclusion of development aspects in addressing this challenge. At this point, he noted that both countries have expressed “a shared commitment to strengthening regular migration paths, including the implementation of the Egyptian agreement on seasonal workers” and added: “This agreement is expected to contribute to curbing illegal immigration by providing legal pathways to employment and immigration”
Finally, the Egyptian ambassador to Greece emphasized the fact that “the bilateral relationship continues to develop and evolve, enriched by the success stories and achievements added by both countries”. In fact, he declares that Egypt confirms its commitment to deepen cooperation with Greece and explore new horizons of cooperation and underlines: “The special bond between the two countries, which has its roots in their ancient cultures and spans decades, serves as a solid foundation for further strengthening bilateral ties and promoting mutual prosperity.”
