Ashraf AboArafe
Mr. Dr. received Badr Abdel Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptians Abroad Affairs, met Annette Weber, the European Union envoy to the Horn of Africa, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday, July 16, at the beginning of the consultation session scheduled to be held with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for African Affairs.
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesman and director of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, stated that visions were exchanged on a number of security and political issues and challenges taking place in the Horn of Africa region, as Dr. Abdel Ati was keen to listen to a comprehensive assessment by the European envoy of the situation in the Horn of Africa. In light of the recurring challenges it is witnessing and the escalation of crises, in addition to the growin
The Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed that Egypt attaches great importance to strengthening its relations with the countries of the Horn of Africa, noting that he went on his first foreign trip to Somalia and Djibouti to open the first direct airline between the three countries, which reflects the depth and importance of Egypt’s relations with the two countries, and Egypt’s keenness to achieve A higher degree of interconnection with the countries of the Horn of Africa because of the strategic depth they represent for Egyptian national security. In this context, the Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of supporting the government of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in achieving stability, development and combating terrorism.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman explained that the Foreign Minister touched on the issue of security of the Red Sea, ensuring freedom of international navigation, and the effects of the escalating security threats on the global economy and on Egypt in particular as a result of the resources that were lost from the revenues of the Suez Canal. Regarding Sudan, Abdel-Ati reviewed the outcomes of the Sudanese Political and Civil Forces Conference, and the Egyptian efforts aimed at creating common ground between the Sudanese parties, to discuss ways to settle the crisis and start a comprehensive political process, stressing the necessity of preserving the Sudanese state, its capabilities and institutions, and dealing with the humanitarian consequences of the current crisis. Seriously and urgently. The two sides agreed on the importance of concerted efforts to defuse the conflict, the necessity of coordination between all effective mediation paths, and resorting to all necessary diplomatic and political means to settle the crisis as soon as possible.
For her part, the European Union envoy to the Horn of Africa appreciated the important role played by Egypt in the Horn of Africa region, stressing the European Union’s keenness to continue coordination and consultation with Egypt on all regional files of common interest in the Horn of Africa region.
