The joint statement was signed by Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti and her Egyptian counterpart General Sedki Sobhi (photo) as a first step towards the signing of an intergovernmental agreement in the field of defense, particularly training and borders control, Italian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The two sides have also held bilateral talks regarding international relations, addressing regional crisis such as current situations in Libya, and state of Italian-Egyptian bilateral cooperation relations.
The signing ceremony was attended by the Italian side, represented by Chief of Defense Staff and Secretary General of Defense, and the Egyptian side, represented by Chief-of-Staff of the Egyptian Navy and Deputy Minister of Defense for International Relations.
This past month, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi held talks with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano upon arriving in Italy on Monday 24 November 2014, the first stop in a tour that included the Vatican and France.
Al-Sisi and Napolitano held closed talks, followed by a larger round of talks which included the delegations of the two countries, Egypt’s state-run MENA reported.
The two sides discussed ways to reinforce Egyptian-Italian ties and cooperation. They also addressed regional and international issues, including the peace process in the Middle East, combating terrorism and the situations in Libya and Syria.
The Egyptian President met with President of the Italian Senate Pietro Grasso and an array of Italian officials, including Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
Meanwhile, Saqr Nasser Al Raisi, UAE Ambassador to Italy, and Italy's Defence Minister, Roberta Pinotti, met at the Defence Ministry’s headquarters in Rome, on Tuesday 23 December.
The two sides discussed ways to support and develop bilateral and ways to enhance and develop cooperation between the UAE and Italy in various fields, highlighting the excellent relations between both countries.
