Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry convened on Wednesday with his Greek counterpart Nikos Kotzias for talks on boosting bilateral cooperation in the economic and political domains.
Talks will tackle tripartite cooperation involving Cairo, Athens and Nicosia in addition to other regional and international issues of mutual interest.
The two top officials will hold a press conference after the talks.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shourky and his Greek counterpart Nikolaos Kotzias on Wednesday asserted that bilateral relations are strong.
At a joint press conference after their talks, the two top diplomats confirmed keenness of both countries to consolidate relations.
Shoukry noted that over the past one year and a half several meetings were held at the summit level and at the bilateral and trilateral levels with Greece. He added that today’s talks took up means of promoting joint cooperation along with the overall regional situation.
The two sides will maintain close contacts and efforts for establishing peace and stability in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, added Shoukry.
The Greek minister asserted that Egypt and his country have ancient civilizations. Egypt will remain the throbbing heart of the Arab world, he asserted.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry urged all parties to keep their hands off the situation in Syria in order to clear the scene for an integrated political process that would achieve the interests of the Syrian people.
The minister’s remarks were made in response to journalists’ questions at a joint press conference held with his Greek counterpart here.
He said the Syrian people have suffered a lot from killing and displacement over the past five years, a matter which necessitated a consolidation of the international community’s efforts to halt such bloodshed and destruction that were fueled by foreign powers and terrorist groups.
The past period proved that the Syrian conflict cannot be militarily resolved, said the Egyptian top diplomat, adding that a political process could work out a solution to guarantee the rights of the Syrian people.
The Syria Support Group has managed to make progress on the political track, halt all aggressive operations and resume the talks, he explained, adding that international efforts should beef up such track.
Any military action to be taken from a state outside the regional framework of Syria is totally unacceptable, he said, adding that the Arab League has previously refused and adopted a strict stance over Turkey’s interference in the Iraqi territories.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry asserted that Egypt can set up strong strategic relations after it had completed its constitutional institutions and the political road map.
The Greek minister noted that his country has defended Egypt at all international levels, as the security and stability of Egypt is an extension of the stability and security of the European Union.
He further noted that terrorist operations that are taking place in several parts of the world are a common threat.
He lauded the Egyptian role in settling the Libyan crisis. He also asserted that both Egypt and Greece will continue their efforts for setting the Syrian issue, as the situation in Syria is causing a major problem represented in mass illegal migration to Europe.
He further noted that Egypt, Greece and Cyprus are three effective countries and that cooperation among the three countries will bear fruit shortly.
The success of the three countries’ experiment of cooperation encouraged other Arab countries such as Jordan to seek joining the Egyptian-Greek-Cypriot triangle, he pointed out.
As for the issue of illegal migration and the Greek efforts on this score, the Greek foreign minister noted that all migrants who came to his country were motivated by wars in their countries.
Although Greece did not take part in any of these wars, it is paying the price for them, he wondered.
He asserted that the NATO should play a role in monitoring maritime routes through which migrants pass. The problem of migrants is very intricate and requires more cooperation for settling it. Anyway, he added, this depends on hammering out a radical solution to the Syrian crisis.
Answering a question on cooperation between Egypt and Greece within the framework of southern Mediterranean cooperation, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that both sides are keen on promoting joint cooperation at the economic, political, security and cultural levels.

(www.sis.gov.eg)