Egyptian FM holds series of meetings with U.S. congressmen, senators on Middle East conflicts

CAIRO – 11 February 2025: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Badr Abdelatty held Monday a series of meetings with both members of the U.S. administration and Congress during his visit to Washington taking place amid a critical time in the Middle East where the Gaza ceasefire is at risk, and militias are jeopardizing regional security and stability.

In all meetings, the minister stressed the importance of the two-state solution in Palestine/Israel, completion of the ceasefire deal, and kick starting early recovery and reconstruction in the enclave.  

The minister and Congressman Brian Mast, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the House of Representatives, discussed the armed conflict in Sudan and ways of achieving a ceasefire, as well as the rise of a new regime in Syria. In that regard, the Egyptian minister stressed the importance of launching an inclusive political process to conclude the transitional phase, and of preserving Syria's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

 

The meeting also addressed the recent election of a Lebanese president, as the position had been empty for two years. In the same context, the Egyptian minister urged the stabilization of the ceasefire southern the country between Israel and Hezbollah, and empowering the Lebanese army to fulfill its duties.

As for Libya, the Egyptian minister underscored that the current two governments in eastern and western the country needed to be substituted by a unified one by holding presidential and parliamentary elections. He also stressed the necessity of the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries in order to preserve Libya's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

 

Minister Abdelatty also met Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, the chairman of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) Subcommittee at the House of Representatives and co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Egypt Caucus.

The Egyptian minister met Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee Susan Collins; Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programmes Lindsey Graham, as well as Senator Brian Schatz, ranking member of the same committee. Abdelatty and Schatz discussed different areas of bilateral cooperation, including the economic and cultural ones.  

 

 

The minister had begun his visit to Washington Sunday by meeting Senator Chris Van Hollen, member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the Appropriations Subcommittee for State, Foreign Relations and Related Programs.

 

The Egyptian foreign minister also met with President and CEO of the Hudson Institute John Walters as well as prominent researchers on U.S.-Egypt ties, holding discussions on crises imperiling the Middle East's security. Those addressed conflicts in Gaza Strip, Syria, Libya, Sudan, and Somalia, in addition to the dispute with Ethiopia on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), threats to the security of navigation in the Red Sea, and combating terrorism and extremism.

On another level, the minister gave an overview of the economic reforms carried out by the Egyptian government, expressing interest in bolstering economic cooperation and trade exchange with the United States.

Regarding the meetings with the U.S. administration, they were with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk.