Suez Canal Authority and Greece explore closer maritime cooperation

The Suez Canal Authority has held talks with Greece's ambassador to Cairo to bolster bilateral cooperation, trade, and logistical investments.

Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), has explored mechanisms for promoting cooperation in fields of common interest during talks with Nikolaos Papageorgiou, Ambassador of Greece to Cairo. The high-level meeting took place at the SCA’s headquarters in the Al-Irshad building, Ismailia.

At the outset of the discussions, Rabiee expressed his aspiration that the Egyptian-Greek rapprochement be invested in further promoting cooperation and exchanging expertise in the fields of maritime industries and the provision of logistical services. Calling upon Greek commercial enterprises to engage more actively with Egypt’s primary maritime corridor, Rabiee urged companies operating across these sectors to initiate cooperation with the SCA. He highlighted that the authority has developed into an extensive industrial base to which numerous shipyards and specialised companies operating in various industrial and maritime activities are affiliated.

Rabiee also underscored that the SCA has succeeded in raising its competitiveness through the introduction of new maritime services and activities, executed simultaneously with ongoing efforts to develop the waterway and modernise its fleet of marine units as part of a comprehensive development strategy. Moreover, the Chairman pointed out that the Suez Canal has proven its ability once and again to manage consecutive crises and handle various challenges with agility by working alongside all active organisations and entities in the maritime community to safeguard the continuity of global supply chains.

For his part, Greek Ambassador to Egypt Nikolaos Papageorgiou praised the tangible progress achieved in the Canal's maritime and logistics services, describing the waterway's journey as an ongoing success story despite unprecedented challenges and turbulent conditions. The Ambassador stressed that the Suez Canal remains a key pillar of the maritime transport industry and an indispensable artery of global trade. He expressed hope for greater geopolitical stability in the region, which he noted is vital to steady shipping traffic through the Canal and, in turn, to the sustainability of global supply chains.

Reaffirming the strong bilateral ties, Papageorgiou stated that relations between the two countries are strategic and have deep historical roots, highlighting that both parties represent an integral part of the maritime industry, and we are keen on bolstering economic and trade cooperation through attracting even more investments to projects in the Canal region.