PM meets with Egypt’s Al-Sisi to discuss energy link
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had an online meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Thursday to discuss the further implementation of an agreement signed in October for an undersea cable that would link the Greek and Egyptian energy infrastructures, a strategic priority for both countries.
The prime minister underlined that the power link – whose basis is the Memorandum of Understanding for the interconnection of the Greek and Egyptian power networks signed by the two countries on October 14, 2021 – will help diversify the energy source and supply routes to Europe and enhance energy security on the European continent. The issue is even more pertinent now, due to the new landscape created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Greece and Egypt will play an important role in this new environment due to their capabilities and strategic position. We are natural bridges between Europe and Africa,” Mitsotakis said.
The teleconference, in which both the wider team involved with the project as well as European Investment Bank President Werner Hoyer in Luxembourg participated, was a follow-up of a meeting between Mitsotakis and the Egyptian president on the margins of the EU-Africa Summit in Brussels on February 17.
It is part of the broader planning for the transfer of green energy and cooperation between Africa and Europe to address the climate crisis, providing an alternative and large supply of green electrical power to Europe while contributing to peace and stability in the region, promoting good bilateral relations and strengthening Greek-Egyptian cooperation.
The strategic nature of the two countries’ cooperation for energy security in Europe, which will make Greece a hub for the transfer of green energy, has been recognized by both the European Union and the USA. [AMNA]