Greece, Egypt forge strategic agreement with focus on regional stability, migration

Athens, May 8 (IANS) Greece and Egypt have signed a strategic partnership agreement, with a focus on migration cooperation.

Both countries agree to tackle regional challenges while deepening bilateral ties, Xinhua news agency reported.

During Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi's visit to Athens on Wednesday, the two countries pledged closer cooperation on managing migration flows.

"It should not be up to the traffickers to decide who enters the European Union (EU); this must be a decision made by European states in close cooperation with friendly countries, such as Egypt," said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during a joint press conference with President al-Sisi, aired on Greek state broadcaster ERT.

Since 2015, Greece has served as a frontline entry point for irregular migrants and refugees attempting to enter the EU.

Egypt, meanwhile, has successfully halted irregular migration from its shores since 2016, Sisi highlighted during a separate meeting with Greek President Constantine Tassoulas.

"We do not want to create a problem for our European partners. We call for addressing illegal migration, but legal migration also needs coordination," Sisi said, as quoted by Greece's national news agency AMNA.

Also high on the agenda was the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Mitsotakis expressed strong support for Egypt's role in the Arab reconstruction plan for Gaza, calling it a "realistic basis for dialogue for the day after".

"The first priority is for hostilities to stop and restore the flow of humanitarian aid to civilians," Mitsotakis said in joint statements with Sisi.

Beyond migration and regional stability, Mitsotakis and Sisi affirmed their commitment to broadening cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including trade, economy, shipping, energy, infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, culture, and education.

"There are sound foundations between Greece and Egypt to continue together, in a coordinated manner, to address common challenges," Mitsotakis said.

The two leaders also discussed the East Mediterranean Gas Forum, current developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Egypt-Greece-Cyprus trilateral cooperation mechanism.

El-Sisi expressed appreciation for the current efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.

He emphasised the need to build on these positive efforts to help resolve ongoing disputes and ensure the region's natural resources benefit its people.

Mitsotakis agreed with El-Sisi. He called the maritime border demarcation agreement between the two countries "ideal".

Moreover, El-Sisi praised Greece's support of Egypt within the EU, especially at difficult times.

--IANS

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