Kasoulides meets Egyptian counterpart in Cairo

Bilateral relations, trilateral cooperation with Greece, challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean, the war in Ukraine and the Cyprus problem were among the issues discussed between the Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kasoulides and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Sukri on Thursday during a meeting in Cairo.

“An important part of our discussion today was dedicated to our fruitful bilateral relations, considering that as ministers of foreign affairs we are mandated by our heads of states to lead the preparations for the second G2G that will take place in Cyprus in the coming fall,” Kasoulides said.

He said he had the opportunity to elaborate in detail on the appointment of the General Secretary of the Trilateral Secretariat in Cyprus, a development that he said would help coordination in view of the 10^th trilateral summit to be hosted by Egypt in the second ha;f of the year.

Kasoulides further expressed Cyprus’ enduring support in maintaining a well-paced momentum between EU and Egypt while stressing the latter’s significance as a strategic bulwark and a critical partner in the region.

Moreover, in discussing the ongoing war in Ukraine, Kasoulides pointed to its knock-on effects on energy and food security in Cyprus, Egypt and the region, and said because of that, the cooperation between the two countries becomes “even more imperative.”

“I’m pleased to inform that the EU acknowledges the Eastern Mediterranean’s value as an alternative energy corridor, both for natural gas and for other cleaner sources of energy such as the green hydrogen and renewables via an electrical interconnector. Egypt, as the host of COP 27, cannot but have a central role in all options under consideration,” he said.

In addition, he expressed his belief in the value of such synergies and brought the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), which Cyprus will preside this year, as a successful example of a rules-based regional multilateralism based on shared strategic interests.

Concluding, Kasoulides said that he briefed his Egyptian counterpart on the Cyprus issue.