ATHENS, May 7 (MENA) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas at the presidential headquarters in Athens on Wednesday, where an official reception ceremony was held, marking the start of the President’s official visit to Greece.

The Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said the meeting affirmed the momentum achieved in bilateral relations contributed to holding of the first meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council between Egypt and Greece during the visit.

This is in addition to the signing of the joint declaration on the strategic partnership between the two countries as well as agreements to enhance cooperation in various fields, reflecting the shared will to advance relations to deeper and broader levels.

President El-Sisi stressed Egypt's interest in the distinguished partnership it shares with Greece, which is a strong pillar of bilateral and regional cooperation.

The President also highlighted Egypt's keenness to enhance cooperation with Greece in the economic, trade, tourism and cultural fields, as well as the fields of energy, transportation, and electrical interconnection, particularly the implementation of the Egypt-Greece electrical interconnection project, which represents a key step in the course of relations between the two countries.

The project opens new horizons for the transfer of clean electrical energy from Egypt to Europe for the first time, he said.

The Greek president expressed his country's great appreciation for Egypt, noting Greece's interest to strengthen relations with Egypt to be commensurate with the existing partnership between the two countries, in light of Egypt's pivotal role in establishing the foundations of regional security and stability and addressing regional crises. This reflects Egypt's strategic importance as a key partner of the European Union.

The meeting touched on regional issues of mutual interest, mainly the latest developments in the Gaza Strip, Syria, Libya, and Yemen, as well as maritime security in the Red Sea.

The meeting also tackled ways to avoid regional escalation and to enhance joint efforts to combat illegal immigration. In this regard, the importance of continued coordination and consultation between Egypt and Greece to ensure calm and restore stability in the region was emphasized. (MENA)
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