CAIRO – Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid said the meeting held between Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia reflected distinguished relations binding Egypt with Cyprus in political, economic and cultural areas, especially as they are based on long-standing historical bonds and geographical proximity.
The spokesman added, according to MENA, that Shoukry’s visit comes in light of Egypt’s keenness to enhance ties with Cyprus and strengthen cooperation in different fields.
The spokesman stated that the top Egyptian diplomat held talks with the Cypriot president and Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, about various aspects of bilateral relations and consultation on a number of regional and international issues of common concern.
During his meeting with the Cypriot leader, Shoukry said Egypt looks forward to exploring new fields of cooperation and working with Cyprus to foster the existing cooperation.
On his part, the Cypriot president affirmed his country’s keenness to promote distinct relations with Egypt and continue advancing bilateral cooperation in various areas.
During his talks with the Cypriot foreign minister, Shoukry said Egypt is highly interested in reinforcing cooperation with Cyprus in the economic field, in a way that mirrors the current political harmony between the two countries.
The two ministers probed cooperation in energy, as they emphasized the need to remove any obstacles to accelerating the implementation of joint projects in this strategic sector.
Talks between Shoukry and Kombos touched on cooperation between Egypt and Cyprus in agriculture, fisheries, maritime navigation and tourism, as well as the possibility of bringing seasonal Egyptian workers to Cyprus.
In this regard, Shoukry called for increasing Cypriot investments in the Egyptian market and establishing strong partnerships between the private sector in both countries.
The pair underlined the importance of holding the second meeting of the Egyptian-Cypriot higher committee sooner to activate the agreements signed between the two states.
Regarding regional cooperation, the spokesman stated that the two ministers explored the tripartite cooperation mechanism bringing together Egypt, Greece and Cyprus, as it serves as an integrated regional cooperation framework to confront escalating regional challenges in the Mediterranean region.
Abu Zeid pointed out that the two top ministers talked about the current crisis in the Gaza Strip and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the enclave.
On that score, they called for the full execution of the UN Security Council Resolution no. 2720, demanding the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The two parties agreed on the significance of intensifying regional and international efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave, enhance the access of the necessary humanitarian aid, avert the widening of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, in addition to launching a political process that aims to find a permanent and just solution to the Palestinian issue through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967.
The spokesman explained that the Cypriot foreign minister was keen to be briefed on Egypt’s vision about the political and security developments in Libya and Syria.
Kombos lauded Egypt’s efforts to settle the successive crises in the Middle East and its key role as main pillar of regional security and stability.
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