Egypt Asserts Efforts to Continue Trilateral Cooperation with Cyprus, Greece

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, and Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis after a trilateral summit in Nicosia, Cyprus, Oct. 21, 2020. (Reuters)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, and Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis after a trilateral summit in Nicosia, Cyprus, Oct. 21, 2020. (Reuters)
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Egypt Asserts Efforts to Continue Trilateral Cooperation with Cyprus, Greece

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, and Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis after a trilateral summit in Nicosia, Cyprus, Oct. 21, 2020. (Reuters)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, and Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis after a trilateral summit in Nicosia, Cyprus, Oct. 21, 2020. (Reuters)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi hailed the growing bilateral cooperation with Cyprus, reflected in the keenness to coordinate stances on regional issues of mutual concern.

Sisi also affirmed Egypt's efforts to activate trilateral cooperation with Cyprus and Greece.

During a phone call with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, Sisi discussed issues of bilateral relations and regional developments, within the framework of common interests and stances in the Eastern Mediterranean region, announced presidential spokesman Bassam Rady.

Egypt has close ties with Greece and Cyprus, and the three countries hold regular summits within the framework of their cooperation in the energy field in the Mediterranean.

Rady indicated that the two leaders discussed cooperation in the field of energy, and exchanged views on the developments of several regional issues.

Last December, the Egyptian President described his country's tripartite cooperation with Greece and Cyprus as an example of good neighbor relations that promote security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

For his part, the Cypriot president expressed his keenness to coordinate and exchange views with Sisi on all issues of common interests, according to Rady.

Anastasiades hailed the firm and growing relations between Egypt and Cyprus in various fields, affirming his country’s willingness to take further steps to strengthen the ongoing bilateral relations and friendship with Egypt.

The leaders of Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus previously agreed on the necessity of combating “escalation policies” of Turkey in the East Mediterranean, which threaten the stability of the region.

During their tripartite summit in Nicosia last October, the leaders asserted the importance of coordinating with international partners to take measures that maintain the requirements of regional security.

At the end of 2020, the three countries conducted “Medusa 10” joint naval and aerial training on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, with the participation of French and Emirati navy, aerial and special forces, as well as observers from Saudi Arabia, US, Bahrain, Sudan, Jordan, Italy, and Germany.


The drill is part of the coordination efforts and joint work to confront the challenges in the Mediterranean region.



Lebanon's PM Says Country to Begin Disarming South Litani to Ensure State Presence

President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
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Lebanon's PM Says Country to Begin Disarming South Litani to Ensure State Presence

President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Friday that the state will begin disarming southern Lebanon, particularly the south Litani region, to establish its presence across the country.
"We are in a new phase - in this new phase, we will start with south Lebanon and south Litani specifically in order to pull weapons so that the state can be present across Lebanese territory," Mikati said.

Mikati's remarks followed a meeting with newly elected President Joseph Aoun at the Baabda Presidential Palace. Aoun was elected as the country's new head of state by parliament on Thursday, ending a vacancy in the presidency that had persisted for over two years.

In his address to parliament, Aoun pledged to control weapons outside the state's control, saying the government is the sole entity authorized to possess and use military force and weapons.
A ceasefire agreement that ended the 13-month-conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in November has given the Lebanese party 60 days to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli forces are also required to withdraw from the area over the same period.
The ceasefire agreement says Israeli forces will move south of the Blue Line “in a phased manner” within 60 days. The Lebanese army’s troops will deploy “in parallel” to the positions.