Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed in Cairo on Tuesday a number of issues with his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades, including means to boost bilateral relations, Egypt's fight against terrorism, as well as the Palestinian cause among other topics, a statement by the Egyptian presidency read. Tuesday's meeting, attended by Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Egypt's acting intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, came on the sidelines of the one-week cultural festival "Nostos: Reviving Roots,” which was inaugurated in Alexandria by the Egyptian, Greek and Cypriot presidents on Monday. "A number of regional and international issues of mutual interest were discussed, includiig efforts to combat terrorism, latest developments on the crises in the region, as well as efforts to revive the peace process between the Palestinian and Israeli sides," the statement read. President Sisi expressed to Anastasiades his appreciation for Cyprus's support for Egypt in recent years within the framework of the European Union, while stressing the deep historical relations between the two countries. Meanwhile, economic cooperation, developing new fields to enhance trade and joint investments in both countries, as well as tripartite cooperation between Egypt, Cyprus and Greece, were also among the topics discussed during the meeting, according to the statement. The latest developments concerning the 44-year-old Cypriot dispute were also among the discussed topics. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied the northern third of the island.
