Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday in New Alamein City, the first visit by a Greek prime minister to the region since Mitsotakis's re-election and the formation of his new government. The talks focused on regional files of common interest, including the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum and the illegal migration phenomenon in the Mediterranean basin. The two leaders also discussed the global implications of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and the ongoing crises in Libya. Al-Sisi affirmed Egypt's support for the political process in Libya and the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libyan territory. The two sides agreed to continue intensive coordination to confront the various common challenges facing the region. Al-Sisi-Mitsotakis talks also covered ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between Egypt and Greece. The two leaders expressed mutual interest in the speedy activation and implementation of agreements and memoranda of understanding signed between the two countries, and the continuation of pushing cooperation in the fields of military, economic, and cultural cooperation, in addition to the energy file and natural gas and electrical interconnection, as well as cooperation in green transformation sectors. Mitsotakis expressed his gratitude to Egypt for sending planes to assist in extinguishing forest fires in Greece, while al-Sisi expressed his sincere condolences and solidarity with Greece in facing the effects and repercussions of the fires. The talks were followed by extensive talks between the delegations of the two countries. Ahmed Fahmi, the Egyptian presidency spokesperson, stated that the meeting witnessed bilateral discussions followed by extensive talks between the delegations of the two countries. The talks witnessed the exchange of views and perspectives on regional files of common interest, in line with the positions of the two countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region, with the confirmation that the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) represents one of the most important tools in this framework. The two leaders also discussed the developments of illegal migration in the Mediterranean basin, where Mitsotakis praised Egypt's efforts to confront this phenomenon, especially in light of the burdens it imposes due to hosting millions of refugees on Egyptian soil. Moreover, Egypt's Al-Sisi and Greece's Mitsotakis discussed ways to enhance the prospects of bilateral cooperation between the two friendly countries, where mutual interest was confirmed. They also agreed on accelerasting the activation and implementation of agreements and memoranda of understanding signed between the two countries, and the continuation of pushing cooperation in the fields of military, economic, and cultural cooperation, in addition to the energy file and natural gas and electrical interconnection, as well as cooperation in green transformation sectors. The Greek Prime Minister also expressed his gratitude to Egypt for sending planes to assist in extinguishing forest fires in Greece, while President Al-Sisi expressed his sincere condolences and solidarity with Greece in facing the effects and repercussions of forest fires, affirming Egypt's support for Greece in facing this crisis. Greece and Egypt have enjoyed close relations for centuries, dating back to the time of the ancient Greeks. These relations have continued in recent years, with both countries working together on a number of issues, including security, trade, and energy. Under Al-Sisi, Egypt has sought to strengthen its ties with Greece. In 2014, the Egypt, Greece and Cyprus launched the trilateral cooperation mechanism, and in 2020, Egypt and Greece signed an agreement on designating an exclusive economic zone in the eastern Mediterranean between the two countries. In 2020, Greece and Egypt held a joint military exercise in the Mediterranean Sea.
