President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi today received Mr Vasilis Palmas, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus, in the presence of General Ashraf Salem Zaher, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Minister of Defence and Military Production, and, on the Cypriot side, Ms Elena Rafti, Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Cairo, and Major General Charis Georgiou, Chief of the Military Staff to the Minister of Defence.
The official spokesman for the Presidency of the Republic said that President Al-Sissi welcomed the Minister of Defence of Cyprus, stressing the importance of the bilateral relations between Egypt and Cyprus and the need to deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries, as well as to broaden it to new horizons in various fields, particularly in the security and military fields, in order to meet the common aspirations of the two friendly peoples. President Al-Sissi also requested the Minister of Cyprus to convey his greetings to the President of Cyprus, Níkos Christodoulídes.
The official spokesman for the Presidency of the Republic said that the President also stressed the importance of tripartite cooperation between Egypt, Cyprus and Greece, as an essential mechanism for consolidating security, stability and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean region, in order to serve the interests of the three countries and contribute to meeting common challenges.
For his part, the Minister of Defence of Cyprus conveyed to President Al-Sisi the greetings of the President of Cyprus, Mr. Christodoulídes, stressing the importance of close cooperation with Egypt for Cyprus and welcoming the continued progress in cooperation and coordination between the two countries in the various political, economic and military fields. The Minister of Defence of Cyprus also expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s role in reducing tensions and achieving peace and stability in the region, stressing his country’s commitment to strengthening coordination between the two countries in order to meet common challenges, particularly in the Mediterranean region. In this context, the Minister of Defence of Cyprus welcomed Egypt’s crucial role in combating illegal immigration.