Gerapetritis meets Egyptian counterpart

Gerapetritis emphasised the close cooperation between the two countries and noted that it was his third visit to Egypt as Greece's foreign minister. He underlined that the strategic cooperation of the two countries was deeply rooted in strong historic bonds.
During their talks, the two ministers focused on the crisis in the Middle East and the fears of this spilling over into the surrounding region, as well as ways to cooperate in order to promote peace and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Gerapetritis expressed Greece's deep concern about the situation in Gaza and rising tension in the West Bank, the possibility of the crisis spreading to Lebanon and increasing insecurity in the Red Sea.

He emphasised that Greece and Egypt have a common view regarding the wider region and are determined to tackle the challenges. He noted that Greece, as a foremost ship-owning country in the world, and Egypt as the country controlling the Suez Canal linking the Mediterranean and Red Sea were determined to cooperate and defend freedom and shipping safety.

He also repeated a call for immediate action due to the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the large numbers of dead, noting that an agreement to deliver more medicine and humanitarian aid to the citizens of Gaza was a first step of many that must be taken. He said this must include providing basic essentials and basic facilities for the local population, while ensuring that there was no displacement and people would be able to live in their place of residence in peace and prosperity, without fear of attacks and terrorism.

Recalling that Greece was one of the first countries to send humanitarian aid to Gaza through Egypt, he welcomed Cairo's initiatives to find solutions to the current critical situation and its proposal for both the flow of humanitarian aid and the day after the war.
In addition, he stated that Greece, as a member state of the EU and a reliable interlocutor of all parties, is ready to offer its good offices to do everything in its power to prevent the escalation of the situation and contribute to the end of this crisis.

The two foreign ministers discussed bilateral cooperation, with Gerapetritis pointing out that the electrical interconnection between Greece and Egypt, which has been approved by the European Commission as a project of mutual interest, signals another important bridge between the two states and nations, alongside further cooperation in areas such as trade and culture.
Finally, he assured his Egyptian counterpart that Greece will continue to support Egypt's relations with the European Union.