Italy, Egypt boost strategic partnership with 17 new agreements

ROME, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Italy and Egypt signed on Wednesday 17 new agreements touching all strategic sectors of collaboration in a bid to further boost bilateral ties.

The accords were launched at the third bilateral summit headed by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at Villa Madama, a prestigious state palace in Rome.

Both leaders expressed their satisfaction and praised the excellent state of relations between Egypt and Italy at a joint press conference at the end of the summit.

"With today's new treaties our friendship ties are closer. I' m really satisfied of what we have obtained," said Berlusconi.

Mubarak pointed out that this third bilateral summit represented a "quality jump" in the amount of investments envisaged and that it will pave the way for even more tighter commercial relations.

"I nourish a great affection towards Italy and Berlusconi," said Mubarak, who thanked the Italian contribution to the social and economic development of Egypt, both through labor-force formation programs and the role of Italian firms.

The treaties include collaboration and strategic partnerships in transports, tourism, infrastructures, agriculture, research, energy, trade, environmental protection, new technologies and industry. Nearly all of them were signed by the Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini and his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Among the most interesting initiatives were Italy's role in modernizing Egypt's postal services, the creation of an Italian university in Cairo to promote language courses and cultural exchanges and the launch of the first high-speed direct shipping line from Venice to Alexandria for goods and passengers'transport.

Berlusconi stressed the agreements were set to further increase bilateral trade. Italy is already Egypt's first European commercial partner, with more than 600 Italian firms operating there.

"These accords also represent an opportunity for Italy to recover from the global downturn,"he observed."Egypt has not suffered from the crisis and this stands as a unique chance for Italian products seeking new markets and may help turn our country into a strategic hub for Egyptian goods directed towards Europe".

Berlusconi thanked Mubarak for choosing to visit Italy as the first international appointment after his recent health problems, saying he looked "great and dynamic"as usual.

Bilateral talks also focused on Iran's nuclear program, the Iraq, Afghan conflicts and the Middle East peace efforts. The Italian premier praised Mubarak's crucial role as a "wise" mediator in the delicate negotiations between Israel and Palestine, adding that Italy had offered to set-up a first dialogue forum in the Sicilian city of Erice to overcome the stalemate.

Both leaders agreed upon the fact that the key to reach peace in the region lies in the creation of two states. "As long as the negotiations go on without a concrete solution that gives Palestine its own territory, terrorism is destined to continue," Mubarak warned.

Italy-Egypt ties are living a flourishing moment. The agreements signed on Wednesday further enhanced the Italy-Egypt strategic partnership frame launched in 2008.

According to such partnership, other than for commercial ends the two countries plan to consolidate political and institutional dialogue on major global issues. As proof of the special relationship, at the Group of Eight (G8) summit in L'Aquila in 2009 Berlusconi extended the invitation as well to Mubarak.

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