Food security, trade among key matters discussed at Egyptian-Italian leaders’ meeting

CAIRO: Closer cooperation on food security and trade were among key matters discussed during a meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Saturday’s talks also covered agricultural production and the use of Italian advanced technology for land reclamation to help boost exports of food products from Egypt to Europe.

Lauding recent progress in further strengthening Egypt-Italy relations, the leaders’ talks also focused on regional issues, primarily the war in the Gaza Strip.

They reviewed ongoing Egyptian efforts to broker an immediate ceasefire and ensure the safe and unrestricted delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid and relief to Palestinians in Gaza.

During a speech at a Cairo-hosted Egyptian-European summit on Sunday, El-Sisi said: “Our meeting reflects the depth of Egyptian relations with the European Union, Italy, Greece, Belgium, Cyprus, and Austria politically, economically, commercially, and culturally.”

In a meeting with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, El-Sisi discussed the anticipated signing of a political declaration document to bolster Egyptian links with the EU.

On Gaza, El-Sisi noted the urgent need for a ceasefire and pointed out that Cairo was against any forced displacement of Palestinians.

Egypt’s leader also met with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo — whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU — and discussed the humanitarian repercussions of a threatened Israeli assault on the Palestinian city of Rafah.

The conflict in Gaza and the delivery of aid was also the subject of El-Sisi’s separate talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, with whom he also discussed ways to improve cooperation in areas including the economy and combating terrorism.