ashraf Abo Arafe
The foreign minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Monday 8/10/2018 with his Maltese counterpart Carmelo Abela boosting bilateral relations as well as coordination on a host of regional and international issues of mutual interest.
The meeting came on the sidelines of the third Regional Forum of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in Barcelona.
Shoukry hoped that Abela’s proposed visit to Cairo will be an opportunity to promote bilateral cooperation to face common challenges in the Mediterranean region and to discuss the conditions in Libya and an array of issues related to terrorism, extremism and illegal immigration.
In statements, the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Ahmed Hafez said that Shoukry, during the meeting, stressed the importance of economic cooperation between the two sides.
They also discussed Egypt’s genuine efforts to fight illegal immigration, saying no illegal migration boats were recorded from Egyptian shores since September 2016, the spokesman said.
As for regional files, the two sides discussed conditions in the region, particularly in Libya, as well as efforts to maintain stability in the whole region. Shoukry also stressed the necessity of backing UN efforts aiming at finding a permanent solution to the Libyan crisis, said Hafez.
