‘Egypt stands by Greece’s side’

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (left) welcomed Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to Athens on Wednesday. The visit reaffirmed the countries’ close bilateral relations and their embrace of the intention of the new US government to sharpen its focus on the East Mediterranean. Sisi promised that Egypt “will stand by Greece and in favor of its rights, on any issue concerning the country’s security and maritime borders.” Referring to the maritime border agreement between the two countries in August, he said it was “based on the rules of international law, but also on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.” Mitsotakis spoke of emblematic moves for the achievement of peace and cooperation, noting that “contrary to the attitude of neighboring Turkey, the Mediterranean can become a sea that unites instead of dividing peoples.” [Yorgos Karhalis/AP]