Ashraf AboArafe
Today, Dr. Badr Abdel Aati, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs, received Mr. Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State, at the Prime Minister’s Office in New Alamein City.
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesperson and Director of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, stated that the two ministers were keen at the beginning of the meeting to emphasize the strategic nature of bilateral relations between the two countries, and the mutual keenness to develop and strengthen them in a way that achieves the interests of the Egyptian and American peoples. In this context, Dr. Abdel Aati stressed the importance of working to advance various aspects of political, military, commercial and economic cooperation between the two countries, in a way that serves to enhance their strategic partnership.
Minister Blinken confirmed this, as he expressed his country’s appreciation for the relationship with Egypt, and its keenness to develop and strengthen it. The two sides agreed on the importance of holding the second session of the Joint Economic Committee, based on its important role in strengthening economic and trade ties between the two countries.
The official spokesman added that the meeting discussed in detail the developments of the Gaza Strip crisis and the Egyptian/Qatari/American efforts to reach a ceasefire that would facilitate the exchange of prisoners and detainees, stop the bloodshed of Palestinians in the Strip, and allow the entry of humanitarian aid in sufficient quantities to contain the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe. The Foreign Minister expressed his hope that the next round of negotiations would witness a sincere Israeli political desire to stop the war on the Strip, considering this the only way not only to put an end to the humanitarian suffering witnessed in the Gaza Strip, but also to prevent the regional situation from getting out of control and the escalation of the situation in a way that threatens the stability of the entire region and the peace of the peoples of the region. The Foreign Minister stressed to the American Secretary that Egypt and all countries in the region see the future of stability in the Middle East as based on finding a permanent and just solution to the Palestinian issue and ensuring the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. For his part, the American Secretary expressed his agreement with Egypt’s vision seeking to quickly reach a ceasefire in Gaza, and his appreciation for the mediation efforts and endeavors made by Egypt in this regard. Dr. Abdel-Ati was keen to brief his American counterpart on the results of the contacts and visits he recently made to contain the regional escalation and warn of its imminent dangers, not only to the countries of the region, but also to the interests of many international parties.
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid added that the discussions also addressed the current status of the Geneva talks on the crisis in Sudan, where Minister Abdel-Ati stressed Egypt’s principled position calling for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, working to contain the humanitarian repercussions of the conflict, facilitating humanitarian work, and donor countries fulfilling their previous pledges to provide assistance to Sudan and neighboring countries to deal with the humanitarian repercussions of the crisis.
On the other hand, the talks touched on a number of regional issues of common interest on the Arab and African arenas, most notably developments in Libya, the Horn of Africa, Red Sea security, and the political and security situation in the Sahel region, where the two sides exchanged views and assessments regarding efforts to resolve conflicts in the region, and Minister Abdel Aati briefed his American counterpart on the results of the contacts and efforts made by Egypt in this regard. The official spokesman concluded his statements by saying that the two ministers agreed to continue close coordination and consultation during the coming period regarding supporting mediation efforts related to the Gaza Strip crisis and containing regional escalation.
