Egypt and Greece aim to turn historic ties into 'strategic partnership'

Announcement was made during Egyptian President El Sisi's visit to Athens

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, right, welcomes Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in Athens, where a series of agreements was announced and a 'strategy partnership' cemented. AFP

Greece and Egypt, bound by historical ties, upgraded their relations to a “strategic partnership” on Wednesday and are aiming for stability in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi met Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens. In a joint statement, they said their ties were “deeply rooted in history” and “defined by our strong commitment to the values of peace and the full respect of international law”.

They also declared a joint stance on the need to respect international law to promote peace in Gaza, which borders Egypt and is viewed in Cairo as part of the Arab nation's security sphere.

“The first priority is for hostilities to stop and restore the flow of humanitarian aid to civilians,” Mr Mitsotakis said. He said Greece supported an Arab-backed plan laid out by Egypt for the reconstruction of postwar Gaza.

Migration was also high up agenda of talks. European governments have long been worried about the risk of instability in Egypt, a country of 106 million people where economic adversity has pushed increasing numbers to migrate.

Egypt has since 2016 largely shut off illegal migration from its northern coast, but the Greek islands of Crete and Gavdos have experienced a steep rise in migrant arrivals, mostly from Afghanistan and Egypt.

The European Union last year announced a €7.4 billion ($8.4 billion) funding package and an upgraded relationship with Egypt, as part of a push to cut down migrant flows.

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, left, and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi at the Maximos Mansion in Athens on Wednesday. EPA

Egypt has under Mr El Sisi – in office since 2014 – sought closer relations with both Greece and its ally Cyprus. The alliance between the three was rooted in their common desire to develop the natural gas-rich Eastern Mediterranean into a regional energy centre.

Politically, the alliance had an anti-Turkish slant rooted in Greece's historical rivalry with Turkey and latter's occupation since 1974 of a third of Cyprus.

However, Egypt's recent rapprochement with Turkey after a decade of tension appears to have eased the anti-Turkish undertone of the alliance, with Cairo and Ankara co-operating on regional issues, like the Gaza war, and easing its anti-Greek rhetoric.

Energy ambitions

The Egyptian and Greek leaders on Wednesday also reaffirmed their commitment to a proposed undersea electricity interconnector designed to transport renewable energy from North Africa to Europe.

The planned 3,000-megawatt capacity cable will stretch nearly 1,000km across the Eastern Mediterranean and has secured backing from the EU, making it eligible for significant bloc funding.

“This will allow both Greece and Europe to import low-cost energy – primarily wind energy, which you are able to produce very competitively – and export it to Europe,” Mr Mitsotakis said on Wednesday.

The project, estimated to cost around €4 billion ($4.5 billion), is expected to become operational within five years, a timeline set by both governments.

It aims to transmit solar and wind-generated power developed specifically for the project in Egypt, with private sector involvement led by Greece’s Copelouzos Group.

“It’s not just a bilateral matter – it’s a strategic regional project, as it creates a direct link that will extend to Europe via Greece,” Mr El Sisi said. “We count on the European Union’s support for this major initiative.”

The EU has expressed strong interest in expanding energy partnerships with non-member countries to diversify its energy sources and reduce its dependence on Russian energy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“Greece is a steadfast ally of Egypt, including on matters concerning your country’s relationship with the European Union,” Mr Mitsotakis said, underlining Athens’ role in fostering closer EU-Egypt ties.

The talks in Athens concluded with agreements to explore additional energy co-operation, facilitate expanded seasonal employment of Egyptian workers in Greece, and enhance collaboration across financial, defence, and cultural sectors.

With additional reporting by Reuters and the Associated Press