Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides have reasserted that the establishment of a Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 borders represents the only guarantee for achieving durable peace in the region.
Their remarks were made during their meeting yesterday on the sidelines of the 8th edition of Egypt International Energy Conference and Exhibition “EGYPES 2025”, held at Al-Manara International Convention Centre in the Fifth Settlement, New Cairo.
“Building a Secure and Sustainable Energy Future” is the theme of this year’s EGYPES 2025, the annual conference-cum-exhibition with focus on the future of energy.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the conditions in the occupied Palestinian lands and also reviewed Egypt’s efforts to implement Gaza ceasefire agreement with its three phases, said the Presidency Spokesman Ambassador Mohamed el-Shennawy.
The two sides also took up Egypt’s efforts to resume and continue the exchange of hostages and detainees, in addition to the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip which is facing a humanitarian tragedy.
The Cypriot president was acquainted with Egypt’s ongoing efforts to develop an integrated proposal for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip without displacing the Palestinians or their exit, the spokesman said.
Talks between the two leaders also covered the situation in Syria, Lebanon and Libya, underlining the importance of preserving the stability of the three countries and protecting their unity and territorial integrity, in a way that helps shore up regional and international peace and security.
Other matters put for consideration during the meeting included ways of consolidating co-operation on the bilateral level as well as within the framework of the tripartite co-operation mechanism grouping Egypt, Cyprus and Greece.
Also on the sidelines of EGYPES 2015 inauguration yesterday, President Sisi met Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi who presented an overview of the outcomes of company’s recent projects in Egypt and its ongoing and future exploration and production plans.
Descalzi reaffirmed the company’s commitment to its strategic partnership with Egypt, recognising the country’s pivotal role as a regional hub for liquefied gas and energy trading. He highlighted Egypt’s vast potential and the promising investment opportunities within its energy sector.
Commenting on this presentation, President Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to enhancing co-operation with Italy’s Eni, noting in this connection the importance of the company’s oil and gas exploration and production activities in light of its contribution to the optimisation of Egypt’s resources in the gas and energy sector., Spokesman Shennawy said.
President Sisi then met Mr John Christman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Apache Corporation, a leading US oil exploration and research company.
During the meeting, the Apache chief outlined to President Sisi the company’s vision on expanding its activities in Egypt. In response, President Sisi expressed appreciation for the company’s significant volume of investments and its prominent contribution to oil and gas exploration and production activities in Egypt, Spokesman Shennawy said.
Such activities, President Sisi noted, bolster the capacity of the vital sector of oil and gas to undertake a primal role in the country’s economic development efforts , particularly through transforming Egypt hub for energy production and trading in the Eastern Mediterranean.
For his part, Mr Christman expressed gratification over meeting the Egyptian leader and reaffirmed Apache’s commitment to its partnership with Egypt. He also praised the country’s economic growth in recent years, which has been reflected in the steady development of efforts in energy production and diversification of resources, the spokesman said.
