Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias signed a maritime search and rescue agreement in Cairo on Tuesday.
Shoukry and Dendias held bilateral talks in the presence of the delegations of the two countries, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Egypt and Greece, and to consult on issues of mutual interest.
In a joint press conference, Shoukry stressed that there are excellent relations between Egypt and Greece. He pointed out that the signing of the maritime search and rescue agreement reflects a desire to strengthen political, economic, and security coordination between both sides.
He said that another agreement was signed to provide job opportunities for Egyptians residing in Greece in several sectors, most notably in the field of agriculture, pointing to the existence of consensus on regional and international issues and a desire to develop relations and close coordination.
Minister Shoukry also stressed that cooperation between Egypt and Greece is important and is always on the agendas of the two countries, pointing out that Egypt encourages investments and trade exchange between the two countries.
For his part, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said the joint agreement was based on mutual respect and the provisions of international law.
He pointed out that it sends a message that friendship between countries should be based on legal foundations and respect for the sovereignty of countries. He added that consultations were held on organizing Egyptian labour in Greece.
The Greek minister reiterated that his country is part of the European Union (EU) and the signing of agreements with Egypt establishes a basic model of cooperation, respect for agreements of international law, and the UN Charter.
He pointed out that there is a desire to establish stability in the Eastern Mediterranean region, stressing that Egypt and Greece seek to strengthen cooperation in the field of energy.
He also congratulated Egypt on the successful organization of the global climate summit COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh. He noted that he briefed Minister Shoukry on his visit to Libya and recent developments there.
