FM Abdelatty discusses regional crises, investment in Vienna

CAIRO - 15 July 2026: Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, held the first round of political consultations with Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger in Vienna, Wednesday. This milestone meeting marks the activation of the political consultation mechanism signed between the two nations in Cairo in June 2025.

During the consultations, Abdelatty emphasized the historical friendship between Egypt and Austria, highlighting the need to translate these strong ties into deeper economic cooperation and increased trade volume. He called on the Austrian government to provide stronger incentives and investment guarantees for major Austrian companies to enter the Egyptian market, explore opportunities in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), and build partnerships in green hydrogen and renewable energy.

To further facilitate business and tourism, the two ministers signed a regular Air Services Agreement aimed at boosting travel and commercial exchange. Additionally, they witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation between the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities to exchange expertise, particularly with the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC).

Egypt expressed its keenness to revive the joint Egyptian-Austrian committee to give a strong push to bilateral technical and economic cooperation. Dr. Abdelatty also highlighted the importance of establishing a structured framework for training and organizing legal, seasonal, and migrant labor. He proposed drafting an agreement in this regard to serve as a successful, positive model for managing labor mobility while actively countering illegal migration.

The consultations featured a deep exchange on critical regional challenges, with a primary focus on the war in Gaza. Minister Abdelatty stressed the urgency of executing the first phase of the US-proposed peace plan to guarantee full humanitarian aid access and pave the way for early recovery and reconstruction. He underscored the necessity of empowering the Palestinian National Authority to assume its responsibilities in both Gaza and the West Bank, while strongly condemning ongoing Israeli violations in the West Bank.

Addressing the wider Middle East, Abdelatty detailed Egypt's diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and prevent a regional spillover that could threaten international shipping lanes and global supply chains. He affirmed the importance of maintaining regional stability and adhering to the understandings reached between the United States and Iran.

Regarding the crises in Syria, Lebanon, and Sudan, the Egyptian Foreign Minister reiterated Egypt’s steadfast foreign policy, which is anchored on respecting state sovereignty, preserving territorial integrity, supporting national institutions, and prioritizing diplomatic pathways to restore peace and security across the region.