Egyptian Foreign Minister meets with the Greek leadership in Athens

 

 

Greece-Egypt Agreement: A model application of International Law of mutual respect and good neighbourliness

 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias met with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Athens on September 15th, and he called the recent Greece-Egypt agreement for the partial delimitation of the two countries’ maritime zones “a model application of International Law, of the Law of the Sea and of the principle of mutual respect and good neighbourliness.”

 

Minister Dendias noted that this agreement dealt with an issue that was pending for more than 15 years, a result of negotiations pursued in good faith, and it contributes to the exploitation of natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Greece-Egypt agreement is the “polar opposite of the non-existent, illegal memorandum of Turkey with the government of Tripoli, which is trying to map new, invisible regions of neighbouring borders.” “Today we had the opportunity to discuss precisely what a partial demarcation is and also how will we can restart the negotiation between us for the completion of this demarcation,” he noted.

After briefing Minister Shoukry on Turkey’s provocative actions and rhetoric, he reiterated that Greece is willing to participate in a dialogue with Turkey “for the delimitation of the continental shelf and the EEZ, provided that illegal actions, threats, blackmail come to an end, because under threat and blackmail there is no dialogue.” The withdrawal of Turkish research vessel Oruc Reis was a positive step, but was unfortunately, as he said, accompanied by a threatening rhetoric.

The two countries’ synchronisation of actions in the Eastern Mediterranean was also discussed, while the two Ministers hailed Israel’s normalisation agreements with both Bahrain and the UAE. After adding that the agreement contributes to peace and stability, the Egyptian Minister said that they had discussed cooperation of the region’s countries for the exploitation of gas and the “wealth that exists in the Eastern Mediterranean region, in accordance with International Law.” “We have rejected all provocative actions that destabilise the region and escalate tensions, which are not in the interests of either side. Together we strive for the Eastern Mediterranean to become a region of cooperation, of brotherhood, a region of peace, to contribute to the prosperity of the region.”

 

Meeting with the Prime Minister and President of the Republic

Greece and Egypt confirmed their commitment to a tripartite leaders’ summit with Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, Government sources said after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with the visiting Egyptian Foreign Minister. They also discussed further collaboration in the greater region and current developments.

During his meeting with President Sakellaropoulou both sides hailed the signing of the agreement for the partial delimitation of the two countries’ maritime zones, which is a model application of International Law, of the Law of the Sea and of the principle of mutual respect and good neighbourliness. Both sides acknowledged that the relations of both countries are historical relationships. Relations have been strengthened in the last six years in many sectors due to the very good will of the leaders of the two countries. Minister Shoukry also noted that “we are convinced that our cooperation, our contribution and our contacts with both Greece and Cyprus, will help bring peace to the region, but also to be a wall against any challenge from the other side.”

 

(Photographs: S.Misinas, Y.Panagopoulos & T.Bolari/Eurokinissi.)