Sisi : Egypt vows to bring Regeni's killers to justice

CAIRO – 11 July 2017: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi stated on Tuesday that his country is keen to bring the killers of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni to justice, according to a presidential statement.

In a meeting on Tuesday with an Italian delegation led by head of the Italian Senate's Defense Commission Nicola Latorre, Sisi reviewed the latest development of Regeni's case, the statement added.

Sisi stressed the "importance of continuing cooperation" between Egyptian and Italian prosecutors on the case, Youssef added.

He also continued that his country is keen to develop its historical relations that tie it to Italy and to re-launch them, stating his "confidence in the capacity of the relations between the two countries to overcome various challenges." Sisi also hailed Italy’s stance in supporting Egypt's June 30 revolution.

For their part, the Italian delegation members expressed their keens to develop Egyptian-Italian relations, stressing their support for Egypt to face economic and security challenge.

The Italian Senate's Defense Commission Latorre voiced his appreciation for Egypt’s pivotal role in achieving stability in the Middle East, countering terrorism and illegal migration that pose a threat to the whole world.

Egyptian-Italian relations have suffered since the death of Italian PhD student Regeni, who was tortured and killed in Cairo in early 2016. Italian authorities accused Egyptian security forces of killing him. The number of Italian tourists visiting Egypt dropped significantly after Regeni’s incident.

In April 2016, Italy recalled its Ambassador to Cairo Maurizio Massari over the death of Regeni.

Latorre told the Italian newspaper La Stampa that solving Regini’s death case is critical, but that the case has nothing to do with the proposed return of the Italian ambassador to Egypt, saying that Italy's diplomatic presence would serve to alleviate any tension that might exist between the two countries.