Egypt, Greece Discuss Boosting Cooperation within East Mediterranean Gas Forum

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias (L) welcomes Foreign Minister of Egypt Sameh Shoukry (R) during their meeting in Athens, Greece, 11 April 2023. (EPA)
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias (L) welcomes Foreign Minister of Egypt Sameh Shoukry (R) during their meeting in Athens, Greece, 11 April 2023. (EPA)
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Egypt, Greece Discuss Boosting Cooperation within East Mediterranean Gas Forum

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias (L) welcomes Foreign Minister of Egypt Sameh Shoukry (R) during their meeting in Athens, Greece, 11 April 2023. (EPA)
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias (L) welcomes Foreign Minister of Egypt Sameh Shoukry (R) during their meeting in Athens, Greece, 11 April 2023. (EPA)

Egypt and Greece are in talks to boost cooperation within the East Mediterranean Gas Forum framework and the tripartite cooperation mechanism that brings the two countries together with Cyprus.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met in Athens with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias. They discussed various aspects of bilateral relations and ways to advance them, and regional and international developments.

The officials agreed on the importance of exchanging visions to develop bilateral and tripartite cooperation to achieve more security and stability for the three countries and strengthen cooperation.

Spokesperson of the Egyptian foreign ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid said Shoukry began his visit to Athens by meeting his Greek counterpart. The ministers held a closed session, followed by extensive bilateral discussions between their delegations.

Shoukry conveyed the government's interest in facilitating Greek investments in Egypt, increasing the volume of trade exchange, and overcoming the obstacles facing Greek companies in Egypt.

The spokesman stated that the two sides praised the joint projects in green hydrogen production and new and renewable energy, namely the Greece-Egypt electricity interconnection project.

He noted that the project allows Egypt to strengthen the energy security of Europe and boosts its ability to produce and export energy while maintaining the common interest of both sides.

Shoukry also addressed several regional and international issues of common concern, including the current escalation in the Palestinian territories, the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, developments in Syria, and elsewhere in the region.

He was keen to brief Greek officials on Egypt's efforts to achieve calm between the Palestinians and Israelis.

The FMs also tackled efforts to confront illegal immigration across the Mediterranean, combat terrorism, and coordinate security and military cooperation.

Abu Zeid added that the FM met with the Greek Prime Minister, which reflected the depth and strength of the strategic friendship between Egypt and Greece that is based on multiple political, economic, and cultural foundations.

Shoukry conveyed a verbal message from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, underscoring the strength of the strategic partnership between Egypt and Greece and appreciating the continuous development of these relations on various political and economic levels.

The FM affirmed Egypt's aspiration to explore more new areas of cooperation, which in turn requires working together to develop aspects of this cooperation in a way that contributes to making it a role model in relations between friendly countries.



UK Police Ban Palestine Action Protest Outside Parliament

File photo: People take part in a march in support of the Palestinian people and against Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in Rabat, Morocco, 22 June 2025.  EPA/JALAL MORCHIDI
File photo: People take part in a march in support of the Palestinian people and against Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in Rabat, Morocco, 22 June 2025. EPA/JALAL MORCHIDI
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UK Police Ban Palestine Action Protest Outside Parliament

File photo: People take part in a march in support of the Palestinian people and against Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in Rabat, Morocco, 22 June 2025.  EPA/JALAL MORCHIDI
File photo: People take part in a march in support of the Palestinian people and against Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in Rabat, Morocco, 22 June 2025. EPA/JALAL MORCHIDI

British police have banned campaign group Palestine Action from protesting outside parliament on Monday, a rare move that comes after two of its members broke into a military base last week and as the government considers banning the organization.

The group said in response that it had changed the location of its protest on Monday to Trafalgar Square, which lies just outside the police exclusion zone, reported Reuters.

The pro-Palestinian organization is among groups that have regularly targeted defense firms and other companies in Britain linked to Israel since the start of the conflict in Gaza.

British media have reported that the government is considering proscribing, or effectively banning, Palestine Action, as a terrorist organization, putting it on a par with al-Qaeda or ISIS.

London's Metropolitan Police said late on Sunday that it would impose an exclusion zone for a protest planned by Palestine Action outside the Houses of Parliament - a popular location for protests in support of a range of causes.

"The right to protest is essential and we will always defend it, but actions in support of such a group go beyond what most would see as legitimate protest," Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said.

"We have laid out to Government the operational basis on which to consider proscribing this group."

Palestine Action's members are alleged to have caused millions of pounds of criminal damage, assaulted a police officer with a sledgehammer and, in the incident last week, damaged two military aircraft, Rowley added.