Egypt’s FM, US Secretary of State address regional situations in Gaza, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Horn of Africa, Red Sea

CAIRO – 10 February 2025: In his meeting with the US counterpart Marco Rubio at the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C., Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration Badr Abdelatty regional situations in Gaza, Syria, Libya, Sudan, the Horn of Africa, and the Red Sea.

Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the official spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the meeting focused on strengthening the close bilateral relations between the two countries. The talks explored ways to enhance the strategic partnership, which has lasted for four decades, and to support cooperation in various fields to achieve common interests. Minister Abdelatty expressed his commitment to collaborating with the new administration to achieve security, stability, and a just and comprehensive peace in the region.

The discussions emphasized the importance of continuing the periodic Egyptian-American strategic dialogue at the level of foreign ministers. The meeting also addressed ways to boost economic, trade, and investment cooperation. Both ministers discussed the ongoing preparations for the “Egypt's Economic Future Forum,” which will be hosted in Cairo later this year in collaboration with the American Chamber of Commerce. The forum aims to enhance trade exchange and increase American investments in Egypt.

The spokesperson added that the ministers held extensive discussions on the evolving regional situations in Gaza, Syria, Libya, Sudan, the Horn of Africa, and the Red Sea. Regarding the Palestinian issue, Minister Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's steadfast position on the matter, stressing the importance of fulfilling the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people. 

He expressed Egypt's desire to coordinate with the U.S. administration to work towards achieving a just peace in the Middle East that honors the Palestinian people’s rights, particularly their right to establish an independent state on all their national land. Minister Abdelatty also reviewed Egypt's efforts to implement the ceasefire agreement in all three stages and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. He emphasized the need to accelerate the early recovery process, remove rubble, and rebuild Gaza, while supporting the Palestinians' right to remain on their land and rejecting displacement, with full backing from the Arab, Islamic, and international communities. Furthermore, he highlighted the importance of creating a political framework that leads to a final settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in line with international legitimacy, and ensuring the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, thereby ensuring security and stability in the Middle East.

The talks also covered the situation in Sudan, where Minister Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt's support for Sudanese state institutions, called for a ceasefire, and emphasized the need to respect Sudan's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. 

As for Syria, the Minister underscored Egypt's full support for the Syrian people, advocating for the respect of Syria’s unity and territorial integrity, and stressing the importance of initiating a political process that includes all segments of Syrian society. He reiterated Egypt's position that Syria should be a source of stability in the region.

The discussions also touched upon Egyptian water security, where Minister Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's firm stance on the necessity of reaching a legally binding agreement to operate the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) without infringing on the rights of downstream countries, while ensuring the common interests of all parties involved.

The two ministers also exchanged views on several other issues of mutual concern, including developments in Lebanon, Libya, the Horn of Africa, and maritime security in the Red Sea. They agreed on the importance of continuing consultation and coordination between Egypt and the United States.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Badr Abdelatty headed Sunday to the United States to meet a number of officials at the "newly-elected" administration as well as MPs, in the framework of reinforcing bilateral relations, strategic partnership between the two states, and holding consultations on regional developments.

Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed, last week, the latest developments in implementing the ceasefire agreement in Gaza in a phone call with, Steve Witkoff, the US Special Envoy to the Middle East.