An Egyptian parliamentary delegation, led by speaker Ali Abdel-Aal, held talks with a number of senior Cypriot officials on Monday.
Following a press conference with his Cypriot counterpart Demetris Syllouris, speaker Abdel-Aal said his two-day visit to Cyprus comes to reflect the current excellent relations between the two countries.
“We pay an utmost attention to our relations with Cyprus in both political and economic sectors,” said Abdel-Aal.
Since he came to power in Egypt in 2014, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has held a number of summits with leaders of Cyprus and Greece to discuss their growing mutual interests in the Mediterranean Sea. Egypt signed a maritime demarcation agreement with Cyprus and conducted a number of joint military exercises with Greece.
Abdel-Aal said Egypt fully supports the rights of Cyprus in exploring natural gas in the Mediterranean and strongly condemns Turkey’s aggressive and hostile attitudes towards Cyprus.
Speaker Abdel-Aal is due hold talks with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, and their ministers of tourism, energy, and foreign affairs.
Egypt’s parliamentary delegation to Cyprus includes head of foreign affairs committee Tarek Radwan, head of tourism committee Sahar Talaat Mostafa, head of energy committee Talaat El-Sewedy, MP and head of the Egyptian-Cypriot Friendship Association Karim Darwish, businessman and MP Tharwat Bassiliy, and parliament’s secretary-general Ahmed Saadeddin.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi expressed on Thursday his sincere condolences to his Greek counterpart Prokopis Pavlopoulos over the massive forest fires which swept over the Attica region, causing dozens of deaths.
In a phone call with Greek President, Sisi expressed Egypt’s full solidarity with the brotherly Greek people, Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said in a brief statement.
At least 83 lives were lost, 187 people were injured and a yet unclear number of people were missing by Thursday, after a wildfire swept on Monday through coastal settlements, 30 kilometers east of Athens.
Earlier in the day, Egyptian of foreign ministry said in a statement that Egypt stands in full support with the friendly people and government of Greece to overcome this ordeal.
The wildfires are the worst in Greece in the past decade.
Egypt’s foreign ministry expressed Thursday its deepest condolences to the victims of the Greek forest fires, which left at least 83 dead, a statement by the ministry read.
The forests fires took place Monday, burning out of control in the areas of Rafina and Mati, leaving at least 83 dead and 187 injured.
“Egypt stands in full support with the friendly people and government of Greece to overcome this ordeal,” the statement read.
Fires forced residents to flee to beaches and into the sea.
Monday’s wildfires are considered as the worst to hit Greece in over a decade.
NICOSIA, July 6, 2018 (MENA) – Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides said that Egypt and Cyprus have common vision towards the Middle East.
The Cypriot foreign minister highlighted Egypt’s role and constructive efforts aimed at resolving conflicts and overcoming regional challenges.
The Cypriot top diplomat made the remarks at a ceremony held by the Egyptian embassy in Cyprus on the occasion marking the 66th anniversary of the July 23rd Revolution.
“Egypt is a pillar of stability, beacon of moderate thinking and key partner in the fight against terrorism, in our volatile region”, Christodoulides said.
He underscored that consolidating Egypt’s cooperation with Cyprus and the European Union could contribute to bringing about peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region.
As for the trilateral mechanism which groups Cyprus, Egypt and Greece, he said that much has been achieved in several domains through it, voicing his country’s keenness on expanding cooperation.
He expressed appreciation for Egypt’s stance in support of efforts meant to reach a fair and comprehensive solution to the Cyprus issue.
