Ashraf AboArafe
Dr. Badr Abdel Aati, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs, met with Mr. Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, on the sidelines of the high-level segment of the United Nations General Assembly held in New York.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed his pride in the good bilateral relations between Egypt and New Zealand, especially since this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The two sides discussed ways to develop bilateral relations between the two countries, where Minister Abdel Aati referred to the high-level visits made by the New Zealand side to Egypt recently, including the visit of the New Zealand Foreign Minister, as well as the holding of the sixth round of the political consultations mechanism in Cairo, and stressed the importance of continuing efforts to develop bilateral relations to achieve the common interests of the two countries.
On the other hand, Minister Abdel-Ati briefed his New Zealand counterpart on the developments in the region, stressing the need to reach an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. He warned against the expansion of the conflict and confrontations in light of the dangerous Israeli escalation in Lebanon, and stressed the importance of avoiding the region slipping into a regional war.
