Egypt’s FM, French counterpart, EU Commissioner discuss de-escalation efforts of regional war

 

 

Dr. Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptians Abroad, received a phone call from Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot, the French Foreign Minister, and also spoke with Ms. Dubravka Šević, the EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean, on Sunday, March 29. The discussions focused on the rapidly evolving situation in the region, the military escalation, and the efforts underway to de-escalate tensions.

 

 

Minister Abdelatty reviewed the outcomes of the Islamabad meetings within the framework of the Egyptian-Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani quadrilateral initiative aimed at halting the escalation and preventing the conflict from spreading. He also discussed the details of the mediation efforts undertaken by Egypt, in cooperation with Turkey and Pakistan, to launch direct negotiations between Iran and the United States. These efforts aim to contain the current military conflict, reduce tensions, prioritize diplomacy, and promote dialogue as the only way to prevent the region from descending into widespread chaos.

 

 

The economic repercussions of the ongoing war on the global economy and the economies of the region were also discussed. In this context, the two European officials referred to the financial and economic cooperation programs between Egypt and the European Union and their implementation. They noted the strength of the Egyptian economy's foundations and its ability to withstand regional and international challenges and absorb shocks despite the impact of the military escalation on global economic growth due to rising global energy and food prices and disruptions to supply chains.

 

 

For his part, Minister Abdelatty affirmed that the Egyptian economy has already demonstrated a high degree of resilience in the face of the repercussions of the military escalation in the region, thanks to the structural and monetary reforms undertaken by the Egyptian government over the past years, which have helped absorb the shocks resulting from the crisis. He added that the Egyptian economy has successfully overcome numerous regional crises and challenges in the past, and there is complete confidence in its ability to overcome this crisis as well. He pointed out that Egypt remains committed to implementing economic reforms and building a favorable investment climate, given the security and stability that Egypt enjoys despite the current regional situation.

 

 

During the two calls, it was agreed to intensify efforts to achieve calm in the region and to continue to push the Egyptian-European strategic, economic and financial relations towards broader horizons.