On Wednesday 8 December British Ambassador John Casson visited Sharm el-Sheikh, to attend a memorial service for victims of the Metrojet plane crash on 31 October, and to take forward joint UK-Egyptian work to restore flights between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh as soon as possible.
The Ambassador met General Khaled Fouda, governor of South Sinai, and airport, security and tourism officials to discuss progress implementing the joint UK-Egypt plan for the return of flights, agreed between the two Governments on 30 November.
British Ambassador John Casson said:
“Today in Sharm el-Sheikh we remember those people who tragically lost their lives in the Metrojet plane crash on 31 October. I want to express once more my sadness and condolences to the families and friends of those who died. We join them in their grief.
“The consequences of this tragedy crash have been very difficult for Sharm El Sheikh and for the Egyptians who work in the tourism industry. But we will not leave Egypt alone to face these challenges. We will do everything in our power to defeat the terrorists who want to close down Egypt’s economy. A strong Egyptian economy with a strong tourist industry, at the strategic heart of this vital region, is a national interest for Britain.
“Britain was the first to act on airport security issues at Sharm El Sheikh. Last week we were the first to agree a joint plan with Egypt to return flights. Today I have seen excellent cooperation between British and Egyptian experts here in Sharm to implement that plan. I thank the Governor and the Airport authorities for this, and I am optimistic that successful implementation of the plan will allow us to restart flights as soon as possible.”
