Egypt, Cyprus, Greece leaders urge Palestinian state establishment, Gaza ceasefire at Cairo summit

CAIRO – 8 January 2025: Leaders of Egypt, Cyprus and Greece called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in accordance with pertinent international references and UN resolutions as they met in Cairo for their 10th trilateral cooperation mechanism summit on Wednesday.

In a joint press conference with Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Nikos Christodoulides of Cyprus following their meeting, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi that they highlighted the establishment of a Palestinian state as the only way to achieve sustainable peace.

This achievement will pave the way to achieve economic development and comprehensive cooperation among peoples in the region, Sisi added.

As they explored challenges in the Middle East, the leaders discussed the unprecedented humanitarian crisis experienced by the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Sisi said he briefed the Cypriot and Greek leaders on Egypt’s continuous efforts to achieve ceasefire in Gaza, ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and release captives.

“We stressed that there is no way to achieve stability in the region except by [achieving] a comprehensive ceasefire, ensuring the immediate flow of humanitarian aid, and halting any practices that lead to the forced displacement of Palestinians,” Sisi said.

The leaders also warned against the policy of scorching earth and creating conditions that push Palestinians to leave.

“I stress that we reject these practices and policies, and that Egypt will never accept them,” Sisi stressed.

Sisi said they discussed the situation in Syria, hoping for the achievement of stability and security for the Syrian people.

The leaders affirmed the significance of preserving Syria’s integrity and sovereignty while ensuring that the transitional process be characterized by comprehensiveness and pluralism.

Sisi said he and the leaders of Cyprus and Greece also discussed the Libyan crisis, highlighting the need for achieving security and political stability in Libya.

Additionally, they discussed developments in Sudan and Yemen, and stressed the need to quickly resolve the crises and conflicts in general, to achieve stability and preserve the resources of the countries and their peoples.

Sisi stressed that the region cannot tolerate more adventures undermine its stability, destroy its countries, and negatively impact the capabilities of its peoples.

“It is time to exercise reason, make sound choices, and avoid more wars, destruction, and hatred,” the Egyptian president emphasized.

ENERGY COLLABORATION

Leaders of Egypt, Cyprus and Greece have agreed on the necessity to develop joint energy projects.

“The energy file was strongly present in our talks today,” Sisi said during the press conference.

Sisi said they agreed on the need for developing joint projects in renewable energy, electrical interconnection, natural gas transportation, and power linkage infrastructure enhancement.

These projects aim to achieve regional integration in this sector and effectively ensure international energy security, which has suffered turbulence amidst latest global crises, the Egyptian president added.

Meanwhile, Sisi unveiled the signing of several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) both at the bilateral level between Egypt and Cyprus as well as at the trilateral level along with Greece.

“I stress the need for effective implementation of these agreements and MoUs, due to their common economic benefits,” Sisi said.

Over the past decade, Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus have advanced their trilateral cooperation across various domains, including in energy, economics, and defense, as well as their political and diplomatic coordination.

This partnership has involved high-level exchanges and multiple summits to advance joint projects and initiatives.

A notable project in this collaboration is the EuroAfrica Interconnector, which is set to establish an electricity link between the grids of Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece through a 1,396 km subsea cable with a total capacity of 2,000 MW, serving as an energy conduit between Africa and Europe.

Furthermore, Egypt and Greece are collaborating on the GREGY project, aiming to create a 3,000 MW submarine cable spanning around 950 km, facilitating the exchange of green and cost-effective energy.

Sisi said they discussed during their summit challenges in the Middle East, including the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as well as the situation in Syria, Libya, Sudan and Yemen.

The leaders underlined the need for establishing an independent Palestinian state in accordance with international reference and United Nations resolutions. They stated such achievements represents the only way to achieve sustainable peace, economic development and comprehensive collaboration among the peoples of the region.