Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi began his official visit to Athens on Wednesday - after arriving the previous evening - the first visit by a top Egyptian official to Greece after a bilateral agreement partially delimitating exclusive economic zones between the two east Mediterranean states, and in the face of heightened Turkish provocations and belligerence in the wider region.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi began his official visit to Athens on Wednesday - after arriving the previous evening - the first visit by a top Egyptian official to Greece after a bilateral agreement partially delimitating exclusive economic zones between the two east Mediterranean states, and in the face of heightened Turkish provocations and belligerence in the wider region.
After the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Wednesday morning, el-Sisi will have talks with Greek leadership.
In a high-profile statement heading into talks, the Egyptian leader again reiterated that "... We stand with Greece against any provocations in the Mediterranean."
The official visit, coming an ongoing Covid-19-related lockdown in Greece until Nov. 30, was "greeted" by Ankara with another Navtex (notification to mariners, aviators etc) informing of hydrocarbon exploration in a sea region south of the Greek isle of Kastellorizo by the Turkish-flagged vessel Oruc Reis.
A day earlier Turkey issued another Navtex demanding the demilitarization of four eastern and northeastern Aegean islands (Samothrace, Limnos, Chios and Samos), a repeated demand over recent years that alternates between dispute of Greek sovereignty of islands and islets.