The message that Egypt is one of Greece’s most important strategic partners, that it is imperative that the two countries work together for a sustainable humanitarian pause in Gaza and intensify efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East, he sent interview with the Egyptian newspaper “Al Ahram” by Giorgos Gerapetritis, who is making his third visit to Cairo as foreign minister. In fact, he pointed out that Greece and Egypt have a common understanding of the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean and expressed his belief that the two countries should work together to find solutions that can bring stability and peace and prosperity to the region. Continuing on the same wavelength, he emphasized that a successful example of regional cooperation is the tripartite scheme between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, the aim of which is to promote dialogue and find cooperation areas of common interest, such as defense, energy and climate change , which lay the foundation for stronger relationships.

Referring to his visit, he pointed out that its main purpose is to exchange views with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry on the war in Gaza and the crisis in the Middle East.

Outlining the regional context, the foreign minister said it was particularly worrying and expressed his deep concern about the situation and the growing tension in the West Bank, the possibility of an extension of the crisis in Lebanon, the heightening of the tension in the Red Sea and, above all , the ongoing loss of civilian life and the humanitarian drama.

In this context, called for more to be done to stop the humanitarian disaster and announced that Greece is trying to be constructive and offer meaningful mediation. In particular, he said that Greece aspires to be a sincere and reliable interlocutor, recalling that it was one of the first countries to send humanitarian aid to Gaza and one of the few European countries that participated in the peace summit in Cairo last October, adding that it actively participates in shaping the EU’s foreign policy.

He also expressed his appreciation that Egypt is a pillar of stability in the region and praised Cairo’s role in securing humanitarian aid to Gaza through Rafah. He noted that throughout this time, Greece is in constant communication with the Egyptian government, with which it works closely both for the channeling of humanitarian aid to Gaza and for the successful removal of Greek and foreign citizens from the Palestinian enclave.

At the same time, he wanted to clarify that Greece, following a principles-based foreign policyhas maintained a consistent stance since the beginning of this conflict and immediately laid down a very specific five-point plan of action: “the condemnation of all forms of aggression, the protection of civilians, the creation of humanitarian corridors, the release of hostages and the convening of an international conference on settlement of the Middle East issue based on the decisions of the United Nations Security Council” he clearly underlined.

Focusing on bilateral relations, Mr. Gerapetritis emphasized that over the years, Greece has developed a strategic partnership with Egypt. “Greece maintains historical ties of friendship and cooperation with Egypt and places special emphasis on the further development and deepening of bilateral relations, which are shaped by mutual respect and the desire to live in a peaceful and prosperous region,” he noted.

He made special reference to the 2020 Agreement on the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zones, pointing out that it is the primary manifestation of the strategic nature of the cooperation between the two countries. “This agreement was the product of a bona fide bilateral negotiation, which is based on International Law and in particular on the Law of the Sea. The two countries jointly expressed the desire to expand cooperation in all areas of mutual interest and to explore new potential ventures in each area,” he underlined.

He equally emphasized bilateral cooperation in the field of energy, stressing that the GREGY interconnector is the most iconic joint energy project. In particular, he said that significant progress has been made with the “GREGY Green Energy Interconnector”, a project planned to transfer, via an undersea cable, green energy from Egypt to mainland Greece and then to other European countries. Delving into this field, he made it clear that Greece aspires to become the main energy hub of Southeast Europe and expressed the firm belief that Greece’s strategic geographical position and the stability of its government make it a gateway to the European Union for its countries. North Africa, the Middle East and the Arab world. Continuing in the same vein, he did not fail to mention the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), stating that it has contributed to regional cooperation and assessed that there are still resources to be developed.

Also, the foreign minister stood in the cooperation of the two countries in the fields of trade and economy. “There are many Greek businessmen who are now active in Egypt. And we hope that in the near future, we will welcome a significant number of people from Egypt to work with us, especially in the fields of agriculture and fisheries. As you probably know, we have signed a framework agreement with the Egyptian government for the seasonal employment of land workers in order to facilitate workers from Egypt to come to Greece to work mainly in the agricultural sector. Equally important, the volume of bilateral trade has increased, exceeding $2 billion. We are working to enhance trade as well as diversify our export portfolio. Greek companies have invested in Egypt in various sectors, such as oil and gas research, construction, the food industry, aluminum production, the irrigation system and the banking sector,” he said.

Regarding the prospects of bilateral cooperation, Mr. Gerapetritis spoke of ample possibilities for further deepening of cooperation, through the promotion of synergies in the fields of shipping, tourism, construction, renewable energy sources and innovative technologies.

What really Greece’s ambition is to become the main energy hub of Southeast Europe. I believe that Greece’s strategic geographical position and the stability of its government make it a gateway to the European Union for the countries of North Africa, the Middle East and the Arab world. “I will also briefly refer to the projects that promote interconnectivity, namely the connection of the ports (Piraeus, Limassol and Alexandria-Port Said), as well as the agreement with the Suez Canal Authority and Greek companies for waste recycling” , he emphasized.

Finally, the Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted the importance of the cooperation between Greece and Egypt in the wider regional context of the Eastern Mediterranean. “Greece and Egypt share a common ambition. We seek to promote and ensure peace and security in the Eastern Mediterranean. Indeed, our region is fragile, with war and terrorism, poverty, food crises and climate change being the main underlying causes of instability and uncertainty. Migration flows from North Africa remain a significant problem. Limiting illegal immigration as well as human trafficking is a goal for both Greece and Egypt as well as the European Union. The aforementioned are the main security challenges in the wider Middle East and North Africa region, our neighborhood. War in the Middle East, instability in the Sahel region, rising tensions in the Red Sea and their negative impact on global trade and shipping in Suez, as well as the unpredictable situation in Libya are fueling concerns that the crisis may spread to the wider area” he specifically stated.