Bilateral ties between Cyprus and Egypt are at an all-time high, said Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides after consultations with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, in Nicosia.
The two Foreign Ministers held an in-depth discussion on the bilateral, trilateral and regional partnerships.
Christodoulides said they reviewed the entire spectrum of their cooperation and exchanged views on the next steps to build a secure, peaceful and more prosperous future for the generations to come.
They also reviewed the progress achieved based on what had been agreed during the meeting between Cyprus and Egypt in Cairo in September.
“On my part, I highlighted our deep concern regarding Turkey’s increasingly revisionist and destabilising foreign policy, as manifested in various hot points across the entire region.”
Christodoulides assured his counterpart that Cyprus, as the closest EU state to the region geographically, aspires to continue to act as the bridge for Egypt, consistently making a case for the region’s importance from the perspective of Brussels.
“We shall continue to advocate for the EU’s need to be present, engaged and active in this part of the world.”
Christodoulides also said that Cyprus and Egypt have a shared understanding that geography is destiny and cannot be changed.
“It is up to us, therefore, the countries of the region to turn our geography into a blessing. You can be sure that we will never tire of working towards this goal.”
Shoukry referred to a very long history of the relationship between the Cypriot and Egyptian people.
He conveyed to President Nicos Anastasiades the importance Egyptian President Sisi attaches to the Egyptian – Cypriot relationship.
The Egyptian minister argued for exploring economic opportunities and taking full advantage of the two countries natural resources, such as cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF).
“The cooperation in the field of energy is an important one because of our need to utilise our resources fully, and we believe that EMGF is the appropriate venue that combines the nations of the region.”
Shoukry praised Cyprus’ role in relations between Egypt and the EU.
“We highly value the relationship that exists between Egypt and Cyprus; we looked to it as an example of what can be achieved through productive and faithful relationships.”
