File photo: Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and his Russain counterpart Vladimir Putin (Photo: Egyptian presidency)
El-Sisi said Egypt is ready to support the diplomatic endeavours that would facilitate reaching a political settlement to end the conflict and preserve international security and stability, presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said.
Egypt is closely following the on-the-ground developments in Ukraine, and places high priority on the safety and security of Egyptian citizens in the country, El-Sisi said, while expressing his appreciation for the measures taken by the Russian side to facilitate the exit of Egyptian citizens.
El-Sisi also expressed his aspiration to continue providing Egyptian nationals in Ukraine with all possible assistance to ensure their safety and security, the statement added.
Rady added that the call touched upon enhancing strategic cooperation frameworks between the two countries through joint development projects currently underway. Both presidents assured the strength of deeply-rooted and historical relations binding Egypt and Russia, the spokesman added.
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a new daylong ceasefire on Wednesday to allow civilians to escape the fighting, with Russia announcing earlier today that "some progress" has been achieved after three rounds of negotiations with Kyiv.
Last week, Egypt joined 140 countries in voting for a UN resolution calling for a halt to the Russian invasion and an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from its western neighbour.
Egypt has also called for upholding dialogue and adopting diplomatic and political means to resolve the crisis.
Prior to the Russian invasion, the number of Egyptians in Ukraine stood at around 6,000, including 3,000 students studying at the country's universities, especially in medicine.
Since the start of the conflict on 24 February, hundreds of Egyptian expats have entered the neighbouring countries of Romania, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland, where the Egyptian embassies prepared temporary residences for them.
Egypt is currently pressing with efforts to facilitate the return of the Egyptian evacuees, launching an air bridge for the mission.
Dozens of Egyptian nationals have already been repatriated over the past weeks and others are expected within the coming hours.
The Russian invasion has forced more than 2.2 million Ukrainians and thousands of nationals of various countries to flee.
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