d contract. Badr Abdel Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, held a series of bilateral side meetings with a number of senior international officials, on the sidelines of participation in the delegation headed by Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly at the first meeting of the Peace Council in Washington.
Abdel Ati met with Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, Steve Witkoff, the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, Ayman Al-Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriate Affairs of Jordan, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Emirates, Badr Al Busaidi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, and Constantinos Kombos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs’ meeting with the US Secretary of State and the US Special Envoy to the Middle East discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations and the strategic partnership between Egypt and the United States, where Minister Abdel-Aty stressed keenness to continue close coordination with the American side on various regional and international issues of common interest.
He also praised the American role and President Donald Trump’s tireless efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip, stressing Egypt’s support for the US President’s plan as an important framework for establishing a ceasefire and restoring stability in the region.
The Foreign Minister’s side meetings also witnessed a discussion of developments in the Palestinian issue, where Minister Abdel Aty stressed the constants of the Egyptian position in support of reaching a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue, stressing the necessity of establishing a complete and sustainable ceasefire, ensuring safe and complete access to humanitarian aid without obstacles, the importance of building on Security Council Resolution 2803 as the international reference governing ceasefire efforts, and the necessity of launching a serious and credible political path that leads to the implementation of the two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state. Independent, in a way that achieves security and stability for all the peoples of the region.
Minister Abdel-Aty exchanged views with US Secretary of State Rubio and the US envoy to the Middle East Witkoff regarding efforts to reduce regional escalation in connection with the Iranian nuclear file. Foreign Minister Abdel-Aty stressed the importance of avoiding a widening of the circle of tension, and the necessity of giving priority to diplomatic and political solutions in a way that contributes to maintaining regional security and stability. In this context, he stressed the utmost importance of reaching a peaceful and consensual settlement that addresses the concerns of all parties regarding the Iranian nuclear file on the basis of mutual respect and common benefit, and in a way that contributes to sparing the region the risks of escalation.
Regarding Sudan, Minister Abdel-Aty reviewed with American officials the Egyptian efforts aimed at supporting the Sudanese state and preserving its national institutions and the unity and integrity of its lands, stressing that Sudan’s stability represents a fundamental pillar of Egyptian and regional national security. He also stressed Egypt’s full support for all international and regional efforts aimed at ending the conflict, most notably reaching an immediate and sustainable humanitarian truce, with the importance of intensifying the humanitarian response to our Sudanese brothers in light of the deteriorating field conditions. The minister warned of the danger of any attempts to create parallel structures that threaten the unity of the Sudanese state, stressing the need to preserve national state institutions and support the path of a comprehensive political settlement.
The meetings also touched on developments in the situation in the Horn of Africa, where the Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to address the security and development challenges in the region. Regarding the Somali issue, the Minister renewed Egypt’s support for the unity and sovereignty of Somalia, and the need to enable the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia to perform its tasks efficiently by providing adequate and sustainable funding, while rejecting the establishment of parallel entities outside internationally recognized legal frameworks. He also stressed that the governance of the Red Sea should be limited to the countries riparian to it, stressing Egypt’s rejection of any attempts by non-riparian parties to impose a role in this framework.
Regarding the Nile waters, Minister Abdel-Ati stressed that water represents a basic human right, stressing the necessity of adhering to the rules of international law, especially the principles of consensus, cooperation and non-harm with regard to projects established on shared international rivers. He also stressed the importance of cooperation and integration between the Nile Basin countries to achieve common benefit, and rejected unilateral measures that affect the rights of the two downstream countries, in a way that preserves Egyptian water security.
At the conclusion of his meetings, Minister Abdel-Aty stressed Egypt’s keenness to continue coordination and consultation with its regional and international partners to support efforts to bring peace and enhance security and stability in the region.
