Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou received on Thursday an Egyptian, Greek, and Cypriot youth delegation as part of the fourth edition of the ‘Nostos: Reviving Roots Presidential Initiative’.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Greek leader shed light on the deeply-rooted historic ties binding the three countries.

She said the three countries are keen to consolidate the principles of peace, stability, territorial integrity, and sovereignty, according to a statement released by the Emigration Ministry.

The fourth edition of the initiative was launched in April during the visit of Emigration Minister Nabila Makram to Nicosia.

The initiative seeks to benefit from the “soft power” of the communities that once lived in Egypt, as well as to strengthen relations between the Mediterranean peoples through “people’s diplomacy.”

It also profiles Egypt as a country of refuge that has opened its arms to foreign communities throughout its history. These communities in turn have enriched Egypt’s cultural diversity.

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received earlier in July a delegation of Greek and Cypriot youths of Egyptian origin as part of the initiative.

El-Sisi said launching the Egyptian Greek Cypriot initiative was based on the three countries’ shared history, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.

The president asserted Egypt’s keenness to continue maintaining bridges of communication between the peoples and societies of the three countries, noting that trilateral cooperation represents a model to follow in the Mediterranean region.

The president told the youth delegation that their visit is a key step towards helping to deepen communication between the current generations of the three countries.