Egypt and the European Union (EU) intensified their official talks to strengthen cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism.
EU’s Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove continued his meetings for the second day during his visit to Cairo, which included consultations with the Egyptian Foreign and Interior Ministers.
De Kerchove met with FM Sameh Shoukry to discuss methods to enhance coordination and cooperation between Egypt and the EU to eradicate and combat terrorism.
Minister of Interior Mohamed Tawfik also received the Coordinator and stressed the need to consolidate international counter-terrorism efforts to curb its dangers.
He warned that terrorism poses a threat to most countries in the world, reiterating the dangers of providing a safe haven to terrorists who hide behind religious misconceptions and promote a culture of violence and destruction.
Tawfik briefed the Coordinator on Egypt’s proactive strategy to combat terrorism, disband terror groups, dry up their potential funding resources and destroy their infrastructure.
He also expressed the ministry's readiness to develop security cooperation with all EU counter-terrorism bodies against possible terrorist threats, especially by sharing information on terrorist elements, their movements and their funding sources.
De Kerchove lauded the role of the Interior Ministry in combating terrorism and organized crime and its success in overcoming all obstacles and challenges encountered during the past period.
He pointed to the will to expand the security cooperation and information exchange between EU’s bodies and Egypt’s Interior Ministry. He hoped this will help in countering potential terrorist risks associated with the movement of cells and extremists between the hotbeds of tension in the Middle East and European countries.