Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has emphasized the importance of building on the momentum witnessed in Egypt-Italy relations in the recent period as well as increasing the frequency of mutual visits by senior officials from the two countries.
Shoukry pointed out to the visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Egypt and her meeting with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi during the latest UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, in Sharm El-Sheikh, as well as Shoukry’s visit to Rome and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s visit to Cairo last month.
The foreign minister made the remarks as he received on Thursday 2/2/2023 Stefania Craxi, chairwoman of the Italian Senate’s Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee and her deputy, during their current visit to Egypt.
The meeting emphasized that Cairo-Rome relations are historical and deep, with the foreign minister highlighting Egypt’s appreciation of common cultural heritage and extended communication between both countries’ peoples, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said.
He added that the Mediterranean region is a crucible for the meeting of cultures as well as economic and cultural interactions between Egypt and Italy, the spokesman added.
The meeting touched on ways to propel bilateral cooperation in a way that helps achieve optimal utilization of the great capabilities available in both countries, the spokesman said.
Chairperson of the Italian Senate’s Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee Stefania Craxi has underscored the priority given by her country to advancing cooperation with Egypt in various fields in light of the friendship between the two countries.
Craxi praised Egypt’s National Strategy for Human Rights and the progress made in its implementation, noting that it contributes to improving the lives of Egyptian citizens and “enhancing the full enjoyment of their basic rights”.
Meanwhile, Shoukry stressed the Egyptian government’s keenness to facilitate Italian investment flows to promising sectors in the Egyptian market as well as to strengthen the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS)’s involvement in national development projects in the country, especially the Decent Life Presidential Initiative.
The talks took up cooperation in a number of areas that constitute a common challenge for the two countries, foremost of which is illegal migration across the Mediterranean.
On that score, Shoukry briefed the Italian official on Egypt’s vision to deal with this phenomenon.
The vision is based on a comprehensive approach that covers the development, social and security aspects, according to the foreign minister.
Shoukry also talked about efforts to combat terrorism through an approach that includes drying up sources of terrorism funding and dealing with the economic, social and religious roots of the phenomenon.
The meeting provided a good opportunity for exchanging visions and viewpoints on a number of regional and international files of mutual concern, topped by the Ukrainian crisis and its negative repercussions on the economic conditions in developing countries, which necessitates concerted international efforts to resolve the crisis as soon as possible, the spokesman said.
The two sides also exchanged viewpoints on the developments related to the current escalation in the Palestinian territories and the Libyan crisis.
In this regard, the Egyptian foreign minister highlighted Egypt’s efforts to attain settlement for those crises as well as to restore stability and peace in the region.
Source: State Information Service Egypt