Foreign Minister Gerapetritis states that the main purpose of his visit to Egypt was Gaza

Foreign Minister Yorgos Gerapetritis said that the main purpose of his visit to Egypt was to exchange views on Gaza and the crisis in the Middle East.

Mr Yerapetritis, who is in the Egyptian capital Cairo, answered the questions of the Egyptian Al Ahram newspaper.

Stating that more needs to be done to stop the humanitarian crisis in the region, Mr. Gerapetritis expressed concern about the situation in the West Bank, the possibility of a continuation of the crisis in Lebanon and the escalation of tensions in the Red Sea.

Stating that the main purpose of his visit to Egypt was to exchange views on the crisis in Gaza and the Middle East, Yerapetritis said:

"We really appreciate that Egypt is a pillar of stability in the region. Greece has been consistent since the beginning of the conflict, following a principled foreign policy. We were one of the first countries to send humanitarian aid to Gaza. I would like to emphasise the role of Cairo in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza through Rafah. Without Egypt, the international community would not have been able to provide aid to Gaza."

Noting that the common goal of Greece and Egypt is to ensure peace and security in the Eastern Mediterranean, Yerapetritis emphasised that migration flows from North Africa continue to be an important problem.

Stating that they also attach importance to the energy sector, Gerapetritis said that Greece aims to become the main energy centre of Southeastern Europe.

Gerapetritis said that significant progress has been made in the completion of the GREGY Green Energy Transmission Line, which will transfer green energy from Egypt to mainland Greece and from there to other European countries via an undersea cable.

Stating that the maritime delimitation agreement between Greece and Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean, signed in 2020, is indicative of the strategic nature of the cooperation between the two countries, Yerapetritis pointed out that both countries have the desire to expand cooperation in all areas of mutual interest and to explore new potential initiatives in all areas.