Joint statement by the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry, and the Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani
The Ministers reiterated the strong and multifaceted strategic partnership between Egypt and Italy, and reaffirmed their commitment to work jointly to further reinforce this partnership, and enhancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including international peace and security, trade, energy, food security, as well as bilateral investments. In this regard, Ministers agreed to further intensify e the ongoing communications between different stakeholders from both sides with the aim of implementing mutually beneficial projects in various sectors, including green and renewable energy as well as localizing industries in sectors of mutual interest.
Ministers also agreed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation to support ongoing efforts and devise new avenues for cooperation, aiming at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. They also agreed on the importance of cooperation to build resilience to address global challenges. They discussed the ongoing calls to reform international financial system to scale up development finance, as well as developing mechanisms to ensure debt sustainability and avoid a global debt crisis.
The Ministers agreed to strengthen further their dialogue and cooperation on migration issues including promoting legal pathways and combatting irregular migration, expressing their strong concern for the increasing pressure of irregular migration through the Mediterranean, as well as for the inacceptable toll in human lives these irregular flows entail.
They renewed their call for a more comprehensive, concerted approach and more resolute, effective action, bilaterally and in cooperation with the European Union and the international organizations, and the United Nations and its relevant agencies, to tackle the root causes of irregular migration, including lack of socio-economic development and other global challenges as climate change and food insecurity, increase and mobilize financial support for Egypt, in order to alleviate the burden of hosting increasing numbers of migrants and refugees, enhancing voluntary return and re-integration , combat and disrupt the transnational criminal networks of human traffickers and smugglers and enhancing cooperation in technical and vocational training, in order to facilitate the entry of skilled labour force in the job market in both Countries.
The Ministers highlighted the importance of the principles and actions enshrined in the “Rome Process” and confirmed their strong support for the development and implementation of a new strategic and comprehensive Action Plan, as agreed in the Conclusions of the International Conference on Development and Migration on 23 July 2023, and agreed to work together in the steering committee set out in the afore mentioned conclusions
The Ministers also welcomed the first meeting of the “Bilateral technical table on Migration”, that took place in Rome on 20 July 2023 and look forward to the second meeting to be held in Cairo in autumn.
In this framework, they also expressed strong support for the EU-financed projects under European initiative “Talent Partnerships”, which will be instrumental to enhance skills development and recognition with the view of improving connection between labour demand and supply in both countries. They also discussed the proposed establishment of an Italian-Egyptian Center for employment and mobility, jointly coordinated by the authorities of the two countries.
On the promotion of regional initiatives, as envisioned by the “Rome Process “, they recalled the success of the joint capacity-building project I.T.E.P.A (International Training at the Egyptian Police Academy). The first edition involved a total of 360 police and border officials, from more than 20 African countries, in training programs on managing migration flows, investigations against migrant trafficking and related crimes, border control and identification of false documents. The second edition of the project will start next January, for a two-year program.
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