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Greek PM to Visit Egypt as Cairo-Ankara Ties, Defense Pact Loom Large
(MENAFN) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will travel to Egypt next week as Athens closely tracks warming Cairo-Ankara relations and the potential expansion of a new regional defense alliance, local media reported Friday.
Mitsotakis is expected to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in El Alamein on Tuesday, according to a Greek outlet, in a visit meant to underscore continued coordination between Athens and Cairo amid shifting regional currents. Greek Cypriot administration leader Nikos Christodoulides may also join.
High on the agenda: the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan on Aug. 7, which includes a collective-defense clause treating an attack on one member as an attack on all. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has floated the idea of Egypt joining the pact, while Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has called Cairo a "natural partner." Egypt already sits alongside the three founding members in the emerging four-way consultation framework known as the R4.
Egyptian membership would significantly extend the pact's reach, given Cairo's control of the Suez Canal, its position bridging the Mediterranean and Red Sea, and one of the region's largest militaries. Still, Greek officials reportedly doubt Cairo will join anytime soon, given its traditional emphasis on strategic independence and its close ties with the US and Europe.
The talks are also expected to touch on Türkiye, Libya, migration, energy, investment and Eastern Mediterranean maritime disputes.
Mitsotakis is expected to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in El Alamein on Tuesday, according to a Greek outlet, in a visit meant to underscore continued coordination between Athens and Cairo amid shifting regional currents. Greek Cypriot administration leader Nikos Christodoulides may also join.
High on the agenda: the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan on Aug. 7, which includes a collective-defense clause treating an attack on one member as an attack on all. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has floated the idea of Egypt joining the pact, while Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has called Cairo a "natural partner." Egypt already sits alongside the three founding members in the emerging four-way consultation framework known as the R4.
Egyptian membership would significantly extend the pact's reach, given Cairo's control of the Suez Canal, its position bridging the Mediterranean and Red Sea, and one of the region's largest militaries. Still, Greek officials reportedly doubt Cairo will join anytime soon, given its traditional emphasis on strategic independence and its close ties with the US and Europe.
The talks are also expected to touch on Türkiye, Libya, migration, energy, investment and Eastern Mediterranean maritime disputes.
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