Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received on Monday Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Cairo at the Presidential Palace. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis affirmed the need to continue enhancing cooperation between the two countries in the fields of power linkage, trade exchange, and tourism, as they met on Monday in Cairo. El-Sisi and Mitsotakis highlighted the need for enhancing this bilateral cooperation, especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic's impact and harm on the economy worldwide, Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement. They underscored the need for concerted efforts in the face of the negative implications of the pandemic at all levels. Mitsotakis affirmed that Greece will remain a supporter to Egypt inside the European Union and hailed Egypt's special regional position and pivotal role. As they discussed issues of mutual concern, Mitsotakis expressed his country's appreciation of Egypt's efforts to reach a ceasefire between the Israeli and Palestinian sides. The Egypt-brokered ceasefire last month stopped 11 days of violence in the Gaza enclave, which killed 250 Palestinians amid Israeli air strikes. Mitsotakis also hailed the Egyptian initiative for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. El-Sisi reiterated to the Greek premier the need for urgent work to revive the peace negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian sides on the basis of the international legitimacy resolutions and international law, the statement read. El-Sisi and Mitsotakis also discussed the developments of the Libyan situation and agreed on supporting the ongoing political path, which should lead to holding the desired elections in Libya by the end of the year. They also affirmed the need for the exit of all foreign troops and mercenaries from Libyan territories to restore Libyan sovereignty, territorial integrity, and stability. On Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) dispute with Egypt and Sudan, El-Sisi and Mitsotakis agreed on the need to reach a fair, balanced, legally-binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam, the presidency said. The GERD deal should be secured in a way that meets the interests of the three countries and preserves regional stability, they affirmed. El-Sisi and Mitsotakis also agreed on the need for the international community to play a serious role in the GERD issue and for all parties of the ongoing negotiations to show good faith and political will.
