An investment conference focusing on Egypt's relations with the European Union was held on the weekend of June 29–30 at the Al Manara International Conference Centre in Cairo, Egypt.

The conference was an important first milestone following the signing of the Strategic Partnership between Egypt and the EU and featured the participation of high-level government and European officials, executives from financial institutions, as well as major international companies and investors.

Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, graced the occasion.

The Copelouzos Group had a significant and successful presence at this conference. The group's founder, Mr. Dimitris Kopelouzos, attended the conference proceedings, accepted an invitation, and took part in a "closed" meeting or roundtable discussion with the two presidents, President El-Sisi and President Ursula von der Leyen, which only a small number of high-level European Union visitors attended. Mr. Kopelouzos had the honour of being the only Greek businessman who participated in this meeting, representing the Greek business community and highlighting the importance of the projects the group is developing for Egypt and Europe.

Also, the CEO of the Renewable Sources and Energy Storage Business Unit of the Copellouzos Group & CEO of ELICA, which is developing the Egypt-Greece "GREGY" electricity interconnection project, Mr. Ioannis Karydas, was invited to the discussion on renewable energy sources, presented "GREGY," and highlighted its importance, not only for Egypt and Greece but also for Europe in its efforts to carbonize, achieve zero pollution, and achieve energy security. Karidas also underlined the project's alignment with the European Union's strategy for a faster transition to green energy.

Dr. Mohamed Shaker, the Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Ms. Ditte Juul Jrgensen, Mr. Gert Jan Koopman, the Director General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement (DG ENERGY) of the European Commission, as well as other distinguished guests, attended the panel discussion.

In this context, Mr. Karidas stressed the importance of "GREGY" in order for Europe to accelerate the carbonization of its energy mix, diversify its energy supply sources, and accelerate the electrification of its economy by exploiting Egypt's rich "green" potential and available land. In his statement, Mr. Karydas underlined the multiple benefits that will result from "GREGY," which will not only be energy and environmental but also socio-economic, with the creation of a large number of jobs and business opportunities, with benefits for consumers in Greece and Europe through the integration of energy markets and the transfer of green energy at competitive prices.

GREGY, apart from the significant energy, environmental, and economic benefits it will have for Greece and the wider region, is a particularly important geopolitical project and the cornerstone for the creation of North-South corridors and the transport of green energy.

GREGY's IDENTITY

• The Greece-Egypt electricity interconnection is a project included in the European Union's list of Mutual Interest Projects (PMI).
• With a 3,000 MW capacity and roughly 950 km of submarine cable, the flagship project from the Copelouzos Group and the ELICA Group's interest company, Mediterranean Interconnector, will link Egypt to mainland Greece.
• It will substitute 4.5 bcm of natural gas per year, reducing CO2 emissions by 10 million metric tons per year.
• The Copelouzos Group in Egypt will build and run 9.5 GW of renewable energy sources to produce the environmentally friendly and reasonably priced energy that the cable will transport from Egypt to Attica.
• Countries in the European Union will receive some of the electricity that GREGY will be transporting from Egypt.