FM Shoukry assures Egypt's commitment to continue efforts of reconstructing Gaza Strip

CAIRO - 21 September 2023: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry headed the Egyptian delegation participating in the high-level ministerial meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for Coordinating International Aid to the Palestinian People (AHLC), during his participation in the work of the high-level segment of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

 

Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in statements from the United Nations headquarters after the meeting that the Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed "the important role played by the Contact Committee as one of the few internationally effective mechanisms in coordinating aid efforts between various parties - including the Palestinians and Israelis, based on a firm belief in the importance of supporting Palestine to achieve the two-state solution."

 

He further stressed the Egyptian side’s commitment to supporting the work of the committee, which it considers a fundamental pillar in the efforts aimed at fully implementing the Oslo Accords, which this year marks the thirtieth anniversary of their signing ceremony.

 

The official spokesman for the Foreign Ministry stated that Minister Shoukry stressed that supporting the Palestinian Authority is a basic and shared goal of international parties in order to save the two-state solution, which requires practical measures and procedures to be taken on this path, stressing the need for international donors to commit to continuing to support the Palestinian economy as well as the Palestinian brotherly people.

 

At the same time, he called on the Israeli authorities to remove all political, security and economic obstacles that weaken Palestinian institutions, and to refrain from adopting unilateral policies that undermine peace support efforts, especially settlement activities, as well as fulfilling the commitments and understandings that were reached in the course of Aqaba/Sharm El-Sheikh meetings in order to build appropriate momentum for the resumption of direct talks between the two parties.

 

Ambassador Abu Zeid added that the Minister of Foreign Affairs referred to Egypt's commitment to continuing its efforts to reconstruct the Gaza Strip, and the tangible achievements achieved by Egyptian companies and the Palestinian workforce on this path, encouraging international donor parties in turn to renew their efforts in the reconstruction process.

 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs also stressed Egypt's firm commitment to alleviating the suffering of the brothers in Palestine on various economic and humanitarian levels, including mobilizing collective efforts, and through the Contact Committee.