Ashraf AboArafe
Today Thursday, August 29, Dr. Badr Abdel Aati, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs, received a delegation of members of the US Congress headed by Senator “Joni Ernst” at the Cabinet headquarters in New Alamein City.
In a statement by Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, he indicated that the Minister of Foreign Affairs welcomed Senator “Ernst” at the beginning of the meeting on her second visit to Egypt, stressing Egypt’s keenness to receive congressional delegations to consult and coordinate on bilateral relations and regional issues, believing in their pivotal and important role in advancing the strategic partnership between the two countries, and to inform them of the mutual interest that this partnership achieves for both sides given that it represents a cornerstone of regional stability.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman added that Dr. Abdel Aati explained during the meeting the increasing importance of the strategic partnership between Egypt and the United States of America, especially with the multiplicity of regional crises, most notably the war in Gaza and the crises in Libya and Sudan, noting that Egypt is a center of stability in the midst of these crises, and stressing that the successive crises in the region and the Egyptian/American coordination to find effective solutions to them, emphasized the specificity of Egyptian/American relations and their strategic nature. Dr. Abdel Aati explained that the difficulty and uniqueness of the turbulent regional and international circumstances at the present time enhance the importance of joint work to support this partnership, and joint coordination at all levels with the aim of establishing regional peace, security and stability.
On the level of economic cooperation between the two countries, the Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that the second session of the joint economic committee between the two countries will be held at the level of senior officials next month, indicating that the Egyptian side looks forward to the results of the meetings resulting in executive steps that will push joint economic and trade cooperation to broader horizons. The Minister of Foreign Affairs also expressed Egypt’s aspiration to increase the volume of American investments, noting the promising investment opportunities that abound in the Egyptian economy, and the Egyptian state’s orientations to empower the private sector and enhance its role in supporting the state’s development efforts.
For her part, Senator “Joni Ernst” expressed her appreciation for receiving the delegation in Egypt, referring to the fruitful meeting held with His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi this morning, stressing that the American side values the strategic partnership with the Egyptian side and intends to continue supporting it in light of the pivotal role played by Egypt in preserving the security and stability of its regional surroundings and enhancing regional peace efforts.
The official spokesman concluded his statements by indicating that Minister Abdel Aati’s meeting with the US Congress delegation also touched on a number of other regional topics and issues, most notably the ongoing war in Gaza and the situations in Sudan, Libya and the security of the Red Sea, where Dr. Abdel Aati referred to the ongoing Egyptian efforts to contain these crises and their repercussions, in addition to the burdens Egypt bears resulting from the outbreak of these crises in its regional surroundings.
