The Minister of National Defence Mr. Panos Panagiotopoulos who is accompanying the President of the Hellenic Republic Mr. Karolos Papoulias at his three-day visit to Egypt, had a private meeting with the Minister of Defence of Egypt, General Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi.

During their meeting, which lasted 1 hour and 10 minutes and was held at a very amiable ambience, they decided to complete as soon as possible the deliberations between the two parties so as to sign at Athens and Cairo the new defence cooperation agreement between Greece and Egypt. They also discussed other matters of mutual interest for their Ministries’ pertinence, but also broader matters concerning the developments in South-eastern Mediterranean and the Arab world, as well as matters relating to the two countries’ Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ).

After their meeting, Mr. Panagiotopoulos and General Al-Sisi made the following statements:

P. PANAGIOTOPOULOS: I would like to thank the Minister of Defence of the Arab Democracy of Egypt, General Al-Sisi, for the heartfelt, essential and long discussion we had on all matters mainly of our two Ministries’ pertinence, but also on matters of broader cooperation.

The common ground in all matters is that it is a given and registered political decision of the Egyptian as well as the Greek Government, to proceed to a closer cooperation. This will happen immediately. We draw up a committee which at a given time will proceed to the development of a new agreement of military cooperation between the two countries.

At the same time I hope that by the end of this year, until December, my dear colleague General Al-Sisi will honour us with his presence in Athens.

We are ready to cooperate at a broader and closer level, so as to truly establish, for this broader region we belong to, an environment of stability, security, good neighbouring relations and sincere cooperation between the peoples, the Greeks and the Egyptians, who have great history, but also an intense present and future.

I thank him one more time.

A. AL-SISI: I salute my dear Greek guest. During our discussions we referred to matters of cooperation; views and ideas were proposed which will be examined in order to result to further cooperation between the two countries. I believe that the relations which are at an ordinary level can develop and ameliorate.

I salute all my Greek friends and I will come again to Greece, where I had some of my best days, which cannot be forgotten. It was like being in Egypt.

I salute you.