Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty welcomed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of their meeting. Photo courtesy of Egyptian Foreign Ministry Facebook page.
Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s firm stance in line with Arab and Islamic positions, emphasizing the Palestinian people’s legitimate aspirations.
He underscored Egypt’s commitment to coordinating with the US administration to achieve a just and lasting peace that ensures Palestinians' rights, including the establishment of an independent state on their entire national territory.
Abdelatty outlined Egypt’s efforts in implementing the ceasefire agreement, ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid, and pushing for the early recovery process, debris removal, and reconstruction in Gaza.
He emphasized that these efforts must occur with Palestinians remaining on their land, rejecting any forced displacement, and reaffirmed the strong support of the Arab, Islamic, and international communities for their steadfastness.
He also stressed the urgency of creating a political horizon for a final settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in line with international resolutions, guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital — a step crucial to ensuring peace and stability in the region.
Strategic relations between Egypt, US
The meeting focused on the strong bilateral relations between the two nations, ways to strengthen their four-decade-long strategic partnership, and enhancing cooperation across multiple sectors to advance shared interests.
Minister Abdelatty expressed Egypt’s readiness to work with the new US administration to promote regional security, stability, and a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
The discussions highlighted the importance of holding regular rounds of the Egypt-US strategic dialogue at the ministerial level.
Both ministers also addressed ways to boost economic, trade, and investment cooperation, including preparations for Egypt’s Future Economy Forum, set to take place later this year in Cairo in collaboration with the American Chamber of Commerce. The forum aims to enhance trade exchange and increase US investments in Egypt.
The discussion also tackled recent developments in Sudan and Syria and the need to preserve their territorial integrity and restore stability.
Abdelatty also underscored Egypt’s water security to Rubio, reiterating its unwavering stance on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
He stressed the need to reach a binding legal agreement on the dam’s operation and filling, ensuring that the rights of downstream nations are safeguarded while serving the common interests of all parties.
Meeting at the Hudson Institute
Earlier on Monday, Abdelatty met with the Hudson Institute Thinktank's researchers in Washington, DC, to discuss regional security and Egypt-US strategic ties.
He emphasized Egypt's role in stabilizing the Middle East, addressing conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, Libya, and Syria, and countering terrorism.
Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's stance on the Palestinian issue, advocating for a two-state solution and rejecting any forced displacement of Palestinians. He also highlighted Egypt's concerns over water security and the importance of a legally binding agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
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