Ashraf AboArafe
On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, Mr. Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs, received Mr. Stephane Ségournet, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the Republic of France, on a lightning visit to Cairo at the end of his current tour in the region. This came in a statement made by Ambassador Ahmed. Abu Zeid, official spokesman and director of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the visit comes within the framework of completing consultation and close coordination between the two ministers to resolve the crisis situation in the Gaza Strip and contain the regional escalation in the region, in addition to the French Minister’s desire to inform Minister Shukri of the outcome of his contacts and meetings during his recent visits to Israel and Lebanon prior to his arrival to Egypt.
The talks witnessed the exchange of evaluations regarding the ongoing truce negotiations between Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt, to reach a ceasefire agreement and the exchange of hostages and detainees. Minister Shukri stressed Egypt’s strenuous efforts to reach an agreement by putting forward implementable proposals, noting the importance of the parties showing the necessary flexibility. To reach an agreement that saves the blood of the Palestinians and pushes towards calm, leading to a complete ceasefire.
In this context, the French Minister stressed his country’s keenness to support Arab efforts to reach a real horizon for resolving the Palestinian issue, based on France’s position as a permanent member of the Security Council and a country that supports Arab issues, especially Palestinian rights.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman added that, in this context, Minister Shukri was keen to stress the importance of strengthening recognition of the Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, as an important step to establishing an independent, viable Palestinian state and enhancing the chances of a two-state solution. The two ministers also reaffirmed their absolute rejection of any Israeli attempts to liquidate the Palestinian issue by displacing Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip and making the Strip an unviable area. They also agreed to completely reject any ground military operation in the Palestinian Rafah due to its intolerable humanitarian risks and its threat to the stability of the region as a result of the presence of more than 1.4 million displaced Palestinians residing in the south of the Gaza Strip, as it has become the only relatively safe area in the Gaza Strip.
The official spokesman stated that the talks also touched on the tense situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border, where Minister Sigourney reviewed the results of his recent visit to Lebanon and his country’s efforts to contain the escalation in southern Lebanon to prevent the expansion of the conflict in the region, and to spare Lebanon from further factors of instability. Background of the situation in Gaza. The French Minister also stressed that the potential truce in Gaza must be accompanied by a similar truce in Lebanon.
Ambassador Abu Zeid indicated that the two ministers discussed the tragic humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, where Minister Sameh Shukri stressed the necessity of providing more humanitarian aid in light of these deteriorating conditions, in addition to the inevitability of pressuring Israel to open the land crossings and enhance the penetration of this aid into the Strip. . The two ministers also stressed the importance of supporting the efforts of the United Nations Senior Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs and Reconstruction in Gaza, Sigrid Kach, to implement the tasks assigned to her under Security Council Resolution (2720) to facilitate, coordinate and monitor the process of bringing humanitarian aid into Gaza.
At the end of the talks, the two sides agreed to continue close consultation on developments in the situation in Gaza and related regional developments, as well as to strengthen efforts to achieve a ceasefire and restore the political path for a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue through reactivating the two-state solution.
