Rome ��" The Egyptian-Italian strategic partnership initiated in 2008 has boosted ties between both countries and gave a new momentum to their historic relations,” President Hosni Mubarak said Wednesday, after talks with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. "The Egyptian-Italian partnership is a model of fruitful co-operation between the two nations, simply because it takes into consideration the interests of the two peoples," Mubarak said. Mubarak's visit to Italy is his first foreign tour since he underwent surgery in Germany early in March. Mubarak and Berlusconi held the third Egyptian-Italian partnership Wednesday, as around 24 joint pacts were signed by ministers from both sides to boost co-operation in tourism, education, technical training as well as development and investment. "We are always proud of our friendship with the Italians and with Mr Berlusconi, who has [played] a great role in boosting co-operation between our countries," Mubarak, who described the Italian Premier as a close friend, said. Berlusconi lauded Mubarak's role in pushing forward co-operation with Italy. Berlusconi and Mubarak attended the signing of the joint pacts as ministers from both sides exchanged the records of pacts. They covered energy, health, education, administrative development, children's care and co-operation with Africa. One pact involved Italy's contribution to the comprehensive economic and social development of Egypt's underdeveloped north-western coast. Around 22 million landmines, 21 per cent of the world's explosive remains that were laid during World War II, spread along an area of some 2.8 million square meters in north-western Egypt.
