Egypt’s FM addresses regional crises at OIC meetings in Jeddah

CAIRO – 11 January 2026: Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty held a series of bilateral meetings with Arab and Islamic counterparts on the sidelines of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meetings in Jeddah on Saturday, January 10, during which he discussed several regional crises, including developments in Palestine, Yemen, Libya, and Somalia.

Abdelatty met with Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi and Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji. The meetings focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation across various fields and exchanging views on regional issues of mutual concern.

Support for inter-Yemeni dialogue

Foreign Minister Abdelatty also met with Yemeni Foreign Minister Shaya Mohsen Al-Zindani. He underscored the depth of Egyptian-Yemeni relations and reaffirmed Egypt’s unwavering support for Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Abdelatty stressed the importance of preserving state institutions to safeguard the Yemeni people’s resources and prevent further instability.

He emphasized the need to reach a comprehensive political settlement through an inclusive Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue that fulfills the aspirations of the Yemeni people for security, stability, and development.

Call for forming a temporary Palestinian technocratic committee in Gaza

Abdelatty met with Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsine Aghabekian Shahin as part of ongoing coordination on developments in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Egyptian foreign minister reiterated Egypt’s full support for the Palestinian people and the Palestinian National Authority, highlighting Egypt’s intensive efforts over the past two years to halt the war on Gaza, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, alleviate civilian suffering, and reject displacement plans.

He stressed the importance of implementing the second phase of the US President Donald Trump’s plan, noting the temporary nature of transitional arrangements outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2803, including the Palestinian Administrative Committee and the international stabilization force.

Abdelatty affirmed Egypt’s support for the Palestinian Authority’s reform efforts, enabling it to fulfill its responsibilities in both Gaza and the West Bank. He stressed the urgency of the Palestinian Administrative Committee assuming its duties to manage daily affairs and provide essential services in Gaza, and underscored the importance of the temporary deployment of an international stabilization force to monitor the ceasefire.

He also emphasized the unity of Palestinian territories, warning against measures that could entrench the separation between Gaza and the West Bank or undermine the two-state solution. Abdelatty expressed Egypt’s deep concern over Israeli escalation in the West Bank, ongoing settlement expansion, and rising settler violence.

For her part, the Palestinian foreign minister praised Egypt’s historic role in supporting the Palestinian cause and its continued efforts to stop the war, facilitate humanitarian aid, and reject displacement. She stressed the importance of sustained coordination in the next phase to protect Palestinian rights and advance a political solution based on the two-state framework.

Egypt–Kuwait relations and regional developments

Separately, Abdelatty met with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya. He highlighted the strong historical ties between Egypt and Kuwait and reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation, particularly in economic, trade, and investment sectors.

Both sides reviewed regional developments, especially the situation in Gaza. Abdelatty stressed the need for coordinated regional and international efforts to implement the second phase of the US plan, including forming a temporary Palestinian technocratic committee and deploying an international stabilization force.

Regarding Somalia, Abdelatty condemned Israel’s unilateral recognition of the so-called “Somaliland,” describing it as a blatant violation of Somalia’s sovereignty and international law, and a dangerous precedent threatening regional stability. He reaffirmed Egypt’s full support for Somalia’s unity and territorial integrity.

On Yemen, Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s support for Yemen’s sovereignty and stressed the importance of consolidating the ceasefire, de-escalating tensions, and resuming the political process through inclusive dialogue.

Talks with Pakistan on Gaza and Yemen

Abdelatty also met with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar. The two ministers exchanged views on regional developments, particularly the Palestinian issue.

Abdelatty reviewed Egypt’s efforts to advance the second phase of the US plan, emphasizing full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803, sustained humanitarian access to Gaza, formation of the Palestinian technocratic committee, deployment of the international stabilization force, and the launch of early recovery and reconstruction efforts.

The ministers also discussed Yemen, with Abdelatty stressing the need for de-escalation, dialogue, and avoiding unilateral actions to achieve lasting stability.

Discussion on Libya

During his meeting with Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti, Abdelatty discussed developments in Libya, stressing the importance of a comprehensive, Libyan-owned political settlement leading to simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections.

He called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries, reaffirming Egypt’s support for Libya’s unity and territorial integrity, and emphasized the importance of maintaining regular meetings of the Libya Neighboring Countries Mechanism involving Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria.

Somalia’s unity and sovereignty

On the sidelines of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers’ extraordinary session, Abdelatty met with Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali.

He praised the strong Egyptian-Somali relationship and emphasized enhancing cooperation in economic, developmental, and investment fields, noting that the upcoming opening of Bank Misr in Somalia would significantly boost bilateral trade.

Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s full support for Somalia’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, rejecting any unilateral actions or attempts to impose parallel entities outside internationally recognized frameworks. He highlighted Egypt’s diplomatic efforts, including a joint statement by 23 countries and two international organizations in support of Somalia.

The foreign minister also reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to supporting Somali institution-building, counterterrorism efforts, and regional security, stressing the need for sustained international funding for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to enable it to fulfill its mandate effectively.