Ashraf AboArafe
Today Tuesday, August 6, Dr. Badr Abdel Aati, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ammigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs (FA & IEEA), and Mr. Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister, communicated to consult on efforts aimed at reducing tensions in the region and preventing the expansion of the conflict.
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesman and director of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, stated that Dr. Abdel Aati was keen during the call to inform his Chinese counterpart of the outcome of the contacts he made with the foreign ministers of a number of concerned and influential countries over the past days to contain the escalating situation in the region, warning of the dangers of the expansion of the conflict in the region and its dire repercussions on the security of the region and the stability of its peoples. The Foreign Minister stressed that Egypt has been keen since the first moment of the outbreak of the crisis to work together with China and all effective regional and international countries to stop the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip and prevent the expansion of the conflict, pointing out that Israel’s adoption of a policy of political assassinations and violation of the sovereignty of states has exacerbated the crisis and increased regional tension significantly.
The official spokesman added that Minister Dr. Abdel-Ati appreciated the Chinese efforts related to the Palestinian reconciliation file, and stressed Egypt’s keenness to coordinate and cooperate jointly with the Chinese side in order to support Palestinian rights, end the war in the Gaza Strip and enhance stability in the Middle East.
For his part, the Chinese Foreign Minister was keen to listen to the estimates of Dr. Abdel-Ati, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, regarding the ceasefire negotiations, and the role played by Egypt, Qatar and the United States of America in order to reach a permanent ceasefire urgently to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, and ensure the safe and urgent access of humanitarian aid to the residents of the Strip.
On the level of bilateral relations between the two countries, Ambassador Abu Zeid added that Minister Dr. During the call, Abdel-Ati praised the depth of relations between Egypt and China, pointing out the importance of building on the momentum generated by the periodic presidential meetings and visits, as well as high-level ministerial visits, especially in light of the announcement of the launch of the “Year of Egyptian-Chinese Partnership” this year on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the establishment of comprehensive strategic partnership relations between the two countries. The Foreign Minister also expressed his aspiration to make a bilateral visit to China during the coming period to hold a new round of strategic dialogue between the two countries’ foreign ministers.
The official spokesman concluded his statements by pointing out that Minister “Wang Yi” was keen at the end of the call to renew his congratulations to Dr. Abdel-Ati on assuming his new position, expressing his aspiration to work together with the Egyptian Foreign Minister to push Egyptian-Chinese relations to broader horizons, and to continue close coordination and consultation on the most prominent regional and international issues, as well as within multilateral frameworks.
