New Italian ambassador assumes position in Cairo Sept. 14

ROME – 4 September 2017: Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said Monday that new ambassador to Egypt Giampaolo Cantini will assume his position on September 14.

ANSA news agency quoted the minister as saying that relations with Egypt were a necessity when commenting on the Giulio Regeni case and the recent decision to send an ambassador to Cairo.

"It's impossible for countries that are in front of each other not to have high-level political and diplomatic relations," Alfano told a joint session of the Lower House and Senate foreign affairs committees.

Last month Italy decided to send ambassador Giampaolo Cantini to Cairo, citing progress in cooperation in the investigation of the 2016 murder of the Italian post-graduate student in Egypt.

Alfano told parliament that "Egypt is an inextricable partner of Italy, like Italy is an inextricable partner of Egypt".