Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty pose for an image with Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament. Photo courtesy of Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
FM Abdelatty made these remarks during his visit to the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg, France, where he held intense meetings with political group leaders and committee chairs, emphasizing the strategic partnership and shared interests between Egypt and the EU.
According to several statements from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdelatty discussed several pressing Middle Eastern issues with European officials, including the Gaza ceasefire and the situations in Syria, Sudan, the Red Sea, and the Horn of Africa.
Restoring regional stability
The foreign minister outlined Egypt’s stance on regional crises and Cairo's continuous efforts to restore stability to the Middle East.
In a meeting with Roberta Metsola, chief of the European Parliament, Abdelatty highlighted Egypt's joint efforts with Qatar and the United States to secure a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and facilitate the release of captives and prisoners between Hamas and Israel.
He emphasized the importance of increasing the delivery of humanitarian and medical aid to Gaza and ensuring that the various stages of the deal are implemented as scheduled.
“Our priority is that the ceasefire and release of hostages agreement is upheld,” Metsola said on X about her talks with Abdelatty in Strasbourg.
“Discussed next steps towards lasting stability and peace in the region,” she added.
Egypt key role
In a separate meeting, Abdelatty told Dubravka Šuica, the European commissioner for the Mediterranean, that cooperation between Egypt and the EU is crucial for achieving stability and security in the region, which is experiencing multiple conflicts.
He also stressed the importance of Mediterranean cooperation in tackling shared challenges based on respecting state sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, and upholding international law.
Egypt has a key role in regional stability, Šuica said on X.
“I am committed to strengthening further EU-Egypt ties through our partnership, including energy, economy, investments, and people-to-people contacts,” she added.
Terrorism and migration
During his discussions with European officials, Egypt’s top diplomat underscored the importance of enhanced cooperation in addressing terrorism and migration, recognizing their critical role in ensuring security and stability in the Middle East and Europe.
Regarding migration, Abdelatty described it as a "common challenge" for Egypt and the EU, emphasizing that joint efforts should be balanced to align with the interests and priorities of both parties.
This cooperation should be part of a comprehensive framework that links migration to development and addresses the root causes of irregular migration, he stated.
Abdelatty also noted that this could be achieved by strengthening partnerships in regular migration while also highlighting the significant economic burdens “Egypt faces in hosting millions of foreigners” fleeing conflicts in their home countries.
European financial package
Abdelatty expressed hope that members of the European Parliament, political group leaders, and committee heads would support the swift disbursement of the second 4-billion-euro tranche from the European financial package allocated to Egypt.
He also expressed Cairo's desire to deepen cooperation in implementing the six pillars of the strategic and comprehensive partnership signed in March 2024 between Egypt and the EU.
According to the strategic and comprehensive agreement, Egypt would receive 7.4 billion euros in EU funding until 2027.
Moreover, the foreign minister emphasized the importance of joint efforts to implement the outcomes of the Egyptian-European Investment Conference held in June 2024, along with the 29 agreements signed during the event, valued at 49 billion euros.
Abdelatty outlined the Egyptian government’s continued efforts to implement ambitious economic reforms, enhance the business environment in Egypt, and strengthen the role of the private sector in the national economy despite the persistent regional and international challenges.
FM Abdelatty's visit to Strasbourg, the second leg of his European tour following Belgium, aims to strengthen cooperation with the EU and follow up on implementing various aspects of the Egypt-EU comprehensive strategic partnership.
Short link: