Sisi Stresses Solid Ties with Cyprus

During a meeting with Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides on Saturday, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi affirmed the well-established strategic relations between Egypt and Cyprus.

"Sisi received today, saturday, Christodoulides in the presence of Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Cypriot ambassador in Cairo," said Presidency Spokesperson Bassam Rady.

Rady added that Sisi welcomed the visit of the Cypriot Foreign Minister to Cairo, stressing the strong and growing strategic bilateral relations between Egypt and Cyprus in all fields.

"The president asserted Egypt's keenness to strengthen the mechanisms of joint cooperation between the two friendly countries, especially at the political, military, commercial and energy levels, as well as upgrading the existing cooperation within the framework of the tripartite mechanism with Greece," the spokesman noted.

The tripartite talks between Egypt, Greece and Cyprus aim at achieving common interests and goals for the three countries in the eastern Mediterranean region, as well as facing the various challenges in the region.

On his part, Christodoulides conveyed the greetings of the Cypriot president Sisi, applauding the close cooperation ties with Egypt, which represent a model for constructive cooperation between the Mediterranean countries.

He highlighted Egypt's privileged position, regional weight and pivotal role in the region under the leadership of Sisi, stressing that Cyprus will remain a supporter of Egypt within the European Union.

They also exchanged visions and perspectives on regional issues of common interest, in light of the stability of common positions between the two countries and the consistency of their interests in the Eastern Mediterranean region, with the emphasis that the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum represents one of the most important tools in this framework, which would lead for more cooperation and investment in the field of energy and gas.

Moreover, Sisi and Christodoulides discussed developments in the Palestinian issue in light of recent events.

In this regard, the Cypriot foreign minister expressed his country's sincere appreciation for the Egyptian efforts which led to the ceasefire between the Palestinian and Israeli sides and the calming of the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Hence, Sisi stressed the importance of working quickly to revive peace negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides on the basis of the two-state solution, UN resolutions, and rules of international law.