President El-Sisi Participates in the 9th Tripartite Summit Between Egypt, Cyprus and Greece

Today, the Summit of the Tripartite Cooperation Mechanism was held in the Greek capital, Athens, between President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades and Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis

The Spokesman for the Presidency stated that the summit discussed aspects of cooperation among the three countries, within the framework of the Tripartite Cooperation Mechanism. It emphasized their success to hold periodic consultations and close coordination on regional and international dossiers that affect all the peoples of the region. This reflected a mutual commitment to translating their political agreement into an array of projects on the ground, in the various economic, cultural, security and military sectors. This is in addition to the recent joint cooperation to address challenges and emergency crises, such as forest fires, and countering the health and economic repercussions of the Coronavirus pandemic.

President El-Sisi commended the progress achieved within the framework of the Tripartite Cooperation Mechanism with Greece and Cyprus, stressing the importance of promoting the mechanism toward broader horizons, within the framework of openness and mutual interest to strengthen the pillars of security and stability in the region and the world at large. This is applied in a manner that reflects the interest to leverage the capabilities and resources that qualify the three countries to meet the aspirations of their peoples for more prosperity.

The three leaders focused on existing as well as proposed projects for cooperation, within the framework of the Tripartite Cooperation Mechanism, in the sectors of energy, gas, electricity, tourism, transport, agriculture, among others. They confirmed the presence of promising prospects to foster closer cooperation among the three countries in an array of vital sectors, including the environment and combating the phenomenon of climate change.

The Spokesman said the summit also touched on efforts to combat illegal migration, terrorism and extremist ideology. The three leaders underscored the need to continue efforts toward realizing more cooperation and coordination among them in this regard.

Deliberations also tackled a multitude of regional and international issues of mutual concern, primarily the issue of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean region, which would be achieved through the respect of the unity and sovereignty of the region’s states, non- interference in their internal affairs and considerations for the requirements of maritime security of each country, which is integral to regional security.

The three leaders also stressed the importance of the regular and periodic exchange of views and close coordination of positions with regard to a number of issues pertinent to regional stability, primarily the Palestinian issue, the Libyan dossier, the situation in Syria and ways to support Lebanon.

Developments pertinent to the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam were also reviewed during the summit. President El-Sisi reiterated the utmost priority Egypt places on the issue of water security and Egypt’s rights in the Nile water, which is an existential issue that requires exerting all efforts possible to reach a legally- binding agreement on the rules of the filling and operation of the Renaissance Dam, particularly after the recent Presidential Statement issued by the UN Security Council in this regard.