The electrical linkage agreement concluded between Egypt and Greece to establish an undersea cable, the first infrastructure of its kind in the Mediterranean, is critical to energy security in Europe, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday.

The connection would happen through an underwater cable that carries electricity across the Mediterranean sea.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi slammed European criticism of human rights standards in Egypt, during a speech before the Egypt-Visegrad Group Summit, hosted by the Hungarian capital Budapest.

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has told attendants at the V4 summit that the EU cannot cope without Egypt it’s most obvious, external ally.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, on Sept. 24, for the first time in nearly 10 years.

In an interview with Bloomberg television on Sept. 8, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Egypt is committed to talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis and wants to avoid any military conflict.

Cairo has yet to express a position on the African Union Commission’s decision to grant Israel observer status in the African body on July 22. Some other African countries have condemned the sudden move that was made without consultation with member states.

Egypt is looking to strengthen its relationship with Senegal, which will hold the presidency of the African Union (AU) next year.

Sudanese Irrigation Minster Yasser Abbas said Sudan will not resume the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations with the same previous methodology.

The EU spokesperson’s for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nabila Massrali said on Friday that unilateral measures on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) by any party will not help in finding a solution, and called on a roadmap to help resolve the dispute.