Christodoulides and El-Sisi discuss energy, defence and regional developments
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in El Alamein before a trilateral meeting with Greece’s prime minister.
El Alamein, Egypt. President Nikos Christodoulides met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Tuesday morning ahead of a trilateral meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis later in the day.
According to government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations, including energy and defence, regional developments, European Union-Egypt relations and Cyprus’ role in strengthening those ties.
Bilateral discussions
Letymbiotis said the meeting focused on cooperation between Cyprus and Egypt in sectors including energy and defence.
The leaders also discussed regional developments, relations between the European Union and Egypt, and the role of the Republic of Cyprus in further strengthening those relations.
Following their meeting, Christodoulides and El-Sisi visited the venue hosting the El Alamein air show.
Regional alliances
The meetings took place amid regional diplomatic activity and the formation of alliances in the eastern Mediterranean and the wider region.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey formed the Mecca Defence Alliance, a tripartite defence pact, last month. Egypt had been suggested as a possible future member, following a meeting in March involving the foreign ministers of Egypt and the three alliance countries.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Egypt could join the agreement once technical matters were resolved. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also described Egypt’s accession as possible and said the agreement had sent an important message to the world.
Egypt’s position
Egypt ultimately remained outside the defence alliance. Egyptian news website Media Masr reported that the country chose not to join what it described as a Saudi-authored political bloc, citing concerns that membership could restrict Egypt’s ability to manoeuvre among competing regional relationships.
The report cited Egypt’s strategic ties with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus, as well as its deepening economic cooperation with India, as factors in its decision.
A former diplomat quoted by the website said Egypt’s complex relationship with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus would make it unlikely for the country to sign a defence agreement with Turkey.
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