Annita Demetriou with the Speaker of Egypt’s parliament: the message on the Turkish-Libyan memorandum and Greece

The illegal Turkish-Libyan memorandum was at the centre of the meeting House of Representatives President Annita Demetriou had with the Speaker of Egypt’s parliament, Hisham Badawy, on Monday, November 9, in Nicosia. The Egyptian official is in Cyprus at the head of a high-level parliamentary delegation.

In a post on X, Ms Demetriou wrote that the two sides gave “particular emphasis” to developments around the Ankara-Tripoli memorandum. In her words, after its signing, Cyprus and Egypt must implement what they have agreed and move in close coordination with Athens, to jointly defend International Law and the Law of the Sea.

The meeting came two weeks after the House of Representatives condemned the memorandum, and as Cairo also moves on the Libyan front, where it reopened its embassy in Tripoli after 12 years.

Trilateral, energy and defence

The Cypriot House President called Egypt an extremely important strategic partner of Nicosia, playing a decisive role for security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. The two officials examined how cooperation can deepen in energy, defence, security and the economy, as well as Cairo’s relations with the European Union.

Upgrading the Cyprus-Greece-Egypt trilateral also came up. Ms Demetriou described it as a key pillar of dialogue and stability in the region and added that both sides want the upgrade to centre on international relations, energy and a more active presence of young people in joint Nicosia-Athens-Cairo activities.

She said the Egyptian side reiterated that it stands firmly beside Nicosia on its standing positions on the Cyprus problem, while views were exchanged on developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. Mr Badawy, the House President wrote, said he considers Cyprus his “second home.”

Ms Demetriou also expressed condolences and solidarity over the recent railway accident in Egypt. In closing, she stressed that the relationship between the two countries has a substantial geopolitical footprint and that parliamentary diplomacy can support it, at a time when the region is changing fast.

Cairo has already declared itself openly against the Turkish-Libyan memorandum, having been among the countries that signed the joint statement at the UN calling the memorandum null and void.