Egypt, Italy to restore their deep relations: Shoukry

CAIRO – 11 September 2017: Ties between Egypt and Italy will regain strength and the two ambassadors will return back, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry in press statements on the sidelines of the 23rd Annual General Meeting of the International Association of Peacekeeping Training Centers (IAPTC).

Shoukry praised Italy’s role in contributing to Egypt’s development and investment inflows.

Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Angelino Alfano announced that the Italian ambassador will return to Cairo on September 14 to resume his position after he was withdrawn in the wake of Ph.D. student Giulio Regeni’s death.

Regeni was conducting research on trade unions before he disappeared on January 25, 2016. His body was found with signs of torture on February 3 in Cairo.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry inaugurated the annual conference of the International Association of Peacekeeping Training Centers (IAPTC), held in Cairo from September 11 to 14.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said that holding the conference in Egypt affirms its key role in the peacekeeping field, citing that Egypt is the third-highest contributor of military experts and the fifth provider of police troops. Egypt also ranks seventh among the major players in peacekeeping missions, he added.

The IAPTC is an open and voluntary association of centers, institutions, and programs dealing with peace operations research, education, and training. It was initiated by Canada’s Pearson Peacekeeping Center (PPC) in 1995.

The IAPTC promotes better understanding of peacekeeping, and of the methods used in training for peace operations of all types. It aims to broaden contact networks between various international organizations, peacekeeping training centers and institutions, universities, and other interested groups, leading to more effective peace operations.

The Pearson Peacekeeping Center provided the original secretariat of the IAPTC, supporting the host nation or organization of each annual conference as required, maintaining a database of participants, providing professional advice in relation to the annual conference themes, and maintaining the IAPTC website. These duties have been taken over by the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping & Peacebuilding (CCCPA) in Egypt as of 2017.