Egypt, Greece Discuss Strategic Partnership and Gaza

Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty held a phone call on Wednesday, December 24, with his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis, as part of regular consultations aimed at strengthening strategic relations and discussing key regional developments.

According to Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the official spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both ministers praised the depth and strength of Egyptian-Greek relations, highlighting the qualitative progress achieved in recent years. They pointed to the first meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council, held in Athens in May 2025, and the signing of a joint declaration elevating bilateral relations to the level of a strategic partnership.

Abdelatty expressed Egypt’s keenness to further enhance economic, trade, and investment cooperation with Greece, while also prioritising joint efforts to bolster energy security. He underlined the importance of expanding bilateral cooperation into new sectors that serve the mutual interests of both countries.

The Egyptian foreign minister also emphasised Cairo’s strong focus on addressing irregular migration and its humanitarian and security implications. He stressed the importance of continued coordination with Greece in this regard, including the implementation of the agreement on the recruitment of Egyptian seasonal workers to Greece. Abdelatty also referred to the recent sinking of an irregular migration boat south of Crete, which resulted in the deaths of 14 Egyptian nationals, expressing hope for continued cooperation with Greek authorities to ensure the repatriation of the victims’ bodies.

During the call, Abdelatty highlighted the special trilateral relationship between Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus, noting that it led to the establishment of the trilateral cooperation mechanism, now widely regarded as a successful model for regional integration and coordination. He voiced Egypt’s aspiration for regular summits under this mechanism and for the continued implementation of agreements and memoranda of understanding among the three countries. The two sides also discussed preparations for an upcoming trilateral ministerial meeting to review cooperation and address regional issues, particularly developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The ministers exchanged views on the situation in Gaza, with Abdelatty stressing the need for intensified international efforts to ensure the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803. He underscored the importance of enabling the international stabilisation force to carry out its mandated tasks, supporting the consolidation of a ceasefire in line with U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan and advancing to its second phase.

Abdelatty also highlighted the urgent need to guarantee safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, create conditions for early recovery and reconstruction, and move forward with the formation of a Palestinian technocratic committee to administer the enclave. He condemned Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and settler violence against Palestinians. Both ministers agreed on the necessity of empowering the Palestinian Authority and ensuring the swift transfer of Palestinian tax revenues withheld by Israel.