ATHENS — "Greece and Egypt recollect the UN Charter, respect the principles of good faith and good neighbour relations and seek stability in the wider region," stated Parliament President Constantinos Tasoulas on Thursday, welcoming visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to the Greek parliament.

"Your visit here is taking place in a period when unusual health conditions prevail, in our region and worldwide. An unprecedented crisis, that appears once every 100 years at most, has changed our priorities, distracted our attention and turned our fears into a huge effort to find that vaccine and a cure so that humanity can turn once again to its peaceful and developmental prospects," Tasoulas said.

"Our countries continue to develop bonds of friendship and collaboration in the areas of our wider region," he said, noting that the "historic" agreement passed by the Greek parliament on August 27 for the delimitation of the maritime zones between Egypt and Greece by citing the UN Charter, respect for the principles of good faith and good neighbour relations and the effort for stability in the wider region.

"International Law, peace and growth are in the interests of the peoples," added Tasoulas, referring to the exemplary cooperation between Greece and Egypt.

"I welcome you to my country, to the Greek parliament, which on Thursday at 17:00 will sign an agreement on cooperation in the tourism sector between Greece, Cyprus and Egypt," he added.

On his part, the Egyptian president conveyed the Egyptian people's respect for the Greek people: "The message is the long and constant relationship between the two countries throughout the history," he said, and thanked Greece for "conveying the voice of Egypt to the European parliaments," adding that the relations of the two countries will continue with a series of visits and contacts between representatives of the two parliaments. "Egypt is an eternal friend which will stand by your side," the Egyptian president concluded.