President inaugurates 10th summit of Trilateral Co-operation Mechanism
Sisi, Christodoulides, Mitsotakis stress need for ceasefire, flow of aid to Gaza
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Wednesday took part in the 10th summit of the tripartite co-operation mechanism between Egypt, Cyprus and Greece and the second meeting of the Egypt-Cyprus Joint High Governmental Committee, held at Cairo’s Presidential al-Ittihadia Palace.
President Sisi highlighted the Egyptian-Cypriot-Greek trilateral mechanism’s critical role in supporting regional stability and confronting shared economic, political, and social challenges.
President Sisi said the mechanism symbolises the strong ties between the three countries and has become a role model in regional integrated co-operation.
He stressed the importance of joint co-operation and coordination among Egypt, Cyprus and Greece to address developments in the Middle East area to achieve stability and halt the escalation of regional tension.
The president made these remarks during his speech at the start of 10th summit under the tripartite co-operation mechanism. President Sisi emphasised the significance of co-operation with Greece and Cyprus as a pivotal step towards the integration of the three nations and boosting their economic co-operation.
The summit and the meeting were followed by a press conference, which was attended by President Sisi, Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides and the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The tripartite co-operation mechanism embodies the depth of the partnership and historical relations between the three countries, and is considered a role model for promoting stability and development in the Eastern Mediterranean region, President Sisi told the conference.
The summit has featured rich and constructive discussions, that tackled means of bolstering joint co-operation in various fields, particularly economic, trade and investment, Sisi added.
The president welcomed the business forum held on Wednesday on the sidelines of the summit, aiming to discuss opportunities for promoting mutual investments and trade between the business communities of our three countries.
The energy issue featured high on the agenda of the talks, as the three leaders agreed on the need to develop joint projects in renewable energy, electricity interconnection, natural gas transportation, Sisi said.
They also agreed on the necessity of consolidating the infrastructure of electricity interconnection between the three countries, to achieve regional integration in the energy sector and effectively contribute to ensuring global energy security.
In this context, I would like to welcome the signing of a number of Memoranda of Understanding, whether at the trilateral level among Egypt, Greece and Cyprus, or at the bilateral level between Egypt and Cyprus. In this regard, I highlight the need for the effective implementation of these agreements and Memoranda of Understanding, given their shared economic benefits, President Sisi said.
Sisi stressed that Egypt, Cyprus and Greece share views on how to address the current challenges and crises in the Middle East.
The president briefed his Cypriot counterpart and the Greek premier on Egypt’s ongoing efforts to conclude a ceasefire, ensure access to humanitarian aid, and release the hostages.
The three leaders stressed that there is no way to achieve stability in the region without a comprehensive ceasefire, ensuring the immediate flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and halting any such practices and policies that lead to forced displacement of Palestinians, Sisi said, noting: ‘Egypt will never accept them’.
Establishing an independent Palestinian state, in line with the international references and the relevant UN resolutions, is the only way to achieve sustainable peace, and thus achieve economic development and the aspired comprehensive co-operation among peoples of the region, they stressed.
Sisi warned against any further adventurism in the region, which could shake stability and negatively impact destinies of its peoples. It is time to uphold reason, make the right choices, and avoid more wars, destruction, and hatred, President Sisi said.
”We also discussed the situation in Syria and emphasised expectations to achieve the aspirations of the Syrian people in stability and security. We also stressed the importance of preserving Syria’s unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty, and that the transition process should be inclusive and pluralistic, he said.
Tackling Libya crisis, the three leaders stressed the importance of achieving security and political stability in the country.
They also touched on developments in the Sudan and Yemen, and emphasised the need to rapidly settle the ongoing crises and conflicts, to achieve stability and preserve the wealth of the countries and their peoples.
This morning, I had the pleasure of chairing the second meeting of the Egypt-Cyprus High Joint Intergovernmental Committee with the president of the Republic of Cyprus. We emphasised our joint commitment to strengthening security and stability in our region, and to continue advancing bilateral relations between our two friendly countries in various fields of common interest.
In the meantime, President Sisi referred to the tangible progress in several co-operation files between Egypt and Cyprus, namely in energy and the exploitation of natural resources in the Mediterranean, as well as maritime security, technology, education and scientific research.
Concluding the press conference, Sisi emphasised Egypt’s keenness on carrying on co-operation with Greece and Cyprus to ensure a prosperous future for the relations between them.
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