Italy-Egypt seal strategic partnership in Rome

Italy and Egypt signed yesterday a memorandum of understanding for a “strengthened strategic partnership”. The meeting was attended by five Italian ministers and six Egytpian ones, as well as by Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and Italian Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who declared at the end of the meeting: “This important intergovernmental summit proves the new style of extreme concreteness which from now on we will follow, putting an end to the time of memorandums full of hopes with no practical use in reality”.
Italian Mediterranean vocation and Egypt’s role of Middle-Eastern mediator therefore aim at strengthening relations between the northern and the southern Mediterranean shores.
The agreement was signed by Italian Foreign minister Franco Frattini and his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who also sealed a joint declaration for the foundation of an Italian-Egyptian University, which “will be soon set out”.
Italian Agriculture minister, Luca Zaia, and his Egyptian counterpart signed an agreement for industrial cooperation in Fishery and the Maritime sector. Culture minister Sandro Bondi and his Egyptian counterpart signed an agreement for protection and recovery of cultural heritage and for the restoration by Italy of the most important Egyptian museum of Cairo “Midan Tahrir”.
This strengthened Memorandum of Understanding between Italy and Egypt expands and replaces the agreement in force since September 1998. It establishes that bilateral summits will be held annually (as Italy already does with main EU partners) and confirms annual meetings between Foreign ministers and general managers.
In addition, the summit established that 2009 will be “Italian-Egyptian year for technology and sciente”, with intensive cultural exchanges.