Ashraf AboArafe
On Thursday, August 15, Dr. Badr Abdel Aati, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, received a delegation from the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate, headed by Representative Hazem Omar, Chairman of the Committee, and the membership of Representative Effat El-Sadat, First Deputy of the Committee, Representative Hanan Soliman, Deputy of the Committee, and Representative Aida Nassif, Secretary of the Committee.
In a statement by Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, Official Spokesperson and Director of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, he explained that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration stressed his pride and that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in strengthening relations with Parliament and its representatives, stressing that all sectors in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been directed to strengthen relations with the Senate.
The official spokesman pointed out that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the delegation of the Foreign Relations Committee exchanged views and assessments regarding all international and regional issues of importance to Egyptian foreign policy and achieving its interests, most notably the ongoing war in Gaza, where the Minister of Foreign Affairs reviewed in this context the intensive contacts he is conducting with active regional and international parties to calm the situation in the region, ensure that the conflict does not expand, and work on an immediate ceasefire.
Ambassador Abu Zeid added that the delegation of the Foreign Relations Committee was keen during the meeting to emphasize the importance of strengthening relations with the African continent, appreciating the foreign tours conducted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to many African countries, where Dr. Abdel Aati briefed the delegation on the results of his visits, stressing his keenness to strengthen relations with African countries, especially the Nile Basin countries, and noted the importance of working to increase support for the countries of the continent and urging the private sector, as a basic partner of the state, to enhance its involvement in development projects in Africa in the interest of Egypt and the brotherly African peoples.
In this context, the delegation stressed that visits to Africa contribute to the rapprochement of peoples and that these visits should be intensified, while clarifying that the presence of parliamentary representation in these visits is an important matter within the framework of the trend towards rapprochement with the peoples of the continent. In this regard, the head of the committee appreciated Egypt’s increased participation in peacekeeping forces in Africa.
The official spokesman added that the meeting also touched on relations between Egypt and the European Union, especially with the promotion of relations to the level of strategic partnership, as it was agreed on the importance of continuing communication between parliament members and their counterparts in the European Parliament, especially during the period of discussions on the European funding package for Egypt.
The official spokesman concluded his statements by pointing out that Dr. Abdel-Ati stressed during his meeting with the delegation of the Foreign Relations Committee that the compass that governs Egyptian foreign policy is the interest of national security, and that Egypt is keen on strategic balance in its relations with international powers.
