Sisi hails ties with Italy as historic, unique

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said Egypt's relationship with Italy is historic and unique as Italy is Egypt's first trade partner in the European Union.

In an interview with widely-circulated Italian newspaper "La Repubblica", Sisi reviewed economic and political developments in Egypt since he came to power in 2014, pointing out to the completion of the political roadmap with the formation of a parliament that has an unprecedented percentage of women and youths.

Sisi also highlighted national projects launched and carried out by the state, including the new Suez Canal, the 1.5-million-feddan reclamation and the national roads network.

A total of EGP 200 billion are allotted over a period of five years for small and medium enterprises with a reduced interest rate, he said, adding that Egypt had resolved several chronic problems such as the electricity and gas crises.

Egypt had regained its regional and international standing through the activation of the country's international relations, the Egyptian role in fighting terrorism and its membership at the United Nations Security Council and the African Union's Peace and Security Council, he said.

Answering an inquiry about the killing of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni, Sisi said "I want to speak to the Regeni family as a father before being a president to stress that I fully understand the pain, bitterness and shock they are feeling by losing their son. I would like to extend my sincere and cordial condolences and solaces over his death. I stand in solidarity with them in their calamity and I confirm that we will spare no efforts and continue to work with the Italian authorities to arrest the perpetrators, so that they can be punished according to the law."

"I would like to affirm that the Egyptian people were shocked by this incident. The relation of friendship between Egypt and Italy is longstanding and historical, and Egypt is keen to provide security and protection to all its visitors, particularly, Italians. This terrifying and unacceptable incident is an individual act that no other Italian has ever faced, given that millions of Italians who have been visiting Egypt for a long period of time enjoyed safety and their well-being was ensured," Sisi told the Italian newspaper.

"The General Prosecution has undertaken investigations from the outset and under the direct supervision of the Prosecutor General. Specialized working groups have been formed by relevant security authorities to uncover the real causes behind the incident and unravel all circumstances surrounding it. I reiterate once more, our sincere keenness to intensify cooperation with Italian authorities to resolve any ambiguity related to this painful incident and bring their perpetrators to justice. In the upcoming days, The Egyptian team in charge of this case will head to Rome to discuss ways to enhance mutual coordination in this regard."

"The timing of this incident is intriguing and raises several questions. Why did it happen during the visit of the Italian Minister of economic development to Egypt, where she headed an Italian Business delegation? Why did it happen when bilateral relations gather unprecedented momentum both politically and economically? Are there any beneficiaries who seek to impede relations, given the turbulent situation in the region? I confirm to the Italian people that Egyptian efforts will continue day and night to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and arrest the culprits who shall receive a deterrent punishment in accordance to the law."

"I would like to refer, in this regards to the disappearance of the Egyptian citizen and Italian resident, Mr. Adel Moad since last October, without unraveling the causes of his disappearance or who is behind it. I reiterate that such individual acts should not be exploited to undermine bilateral relations. At critical moments, real friends show their true colors and the depth of relations is verified."

On terrorism, he said: "We must be very clear and honest with ourselves: this is an international phenomenon that is spreading throughout the world, not a threat to individual countries. Terrorism in Egypt is related to the crisis in the region — Libya, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Mali, Somalia and Nigeria. This is why we need a global strategy and not just an effort by individual countries, and this has to be the international community’s number one priority. It is very important that the international community send a strong message to the countries and parties that support terrorists by supplying them with weapons, money and fighters. It will require a clear and strong message to stop the support for terrorism. The longer we wait, the more we will suffer. All of us".

Source : MENA