Combined images of (From L to R) Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and US Special Envoy Steve Witko. Al-Ahram
During phone calls, the Egyptian FM and the US and European officials agreed on the need to move forward with implementing the second phase of the Trump plan for Gaza, including the commencement of work of the Palestinian Technocratic Committee to administer the strip.
They further underscored the necessity for the deployment of the International Stabilization Force to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza, and the beginning of the early recovery and reconstruction phase in the devastated strip.
According to the Egyptian foreign ministry, Abdelatty also decried in his conversations with Western officials the deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank due to Israeli annexation policies, settlement expansion, and settler violence.
The Egyptian top diplomat's discussions with Western officials came a day after the US announced the launch of the second phase of President Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, shifting focus from a ceasefire to interim governance and post-war reconstruction.
According to the Egyptian foreign ministry, Abdelatty's discussions also addressed the developments in Iran, where the Egyptian FM stressed the importance of working on de-escalation, reducing tensions, and achieving calm to avoid the region sliding into instability and chaos.
The discussions underscored the need to create an environment conducive to prioritizing diplomatic solutions and reaching political settlements that support regional security and stability.
In this regard, Abdelatty stressed to the Western officials on Cairo's belief that there are no military solutions to the region’s crises.
In their call, Abdelatty and Witkoff explored ways to strengthen the Egypt-US strategic partnership within the context of the distinguished ties linking both leaders and their countries.
They praised the bilateral ties as a fundamental pillar supporting security and stability in the Middle East, affirming their desire to enhance political, security, and economic cooperation to achieve mutual interests and support efforts to achieve regional security and stability.
For his part, the US envoy commended Egypt’s pivotal role in supporting regional security and stability, and its ongoing efforts to contain various regional crises and promote political solutions that contribute to regional de-escalation.
Additionally, the Egyptian FM discussed with the EU top diplomat and his Cypriot FM ways to strengthen the Egypt-EU strategic and comprehensive partnership, especially following the first Egypt-EU summit in Brussels in October.
They praised the remarkable development of relations between Egypt and the EU across political, economic, and security fields, and the joint commitment to coordination and consultation to achieve mutual interests.
For their part, the EU top diplomat and the Cypriot FM, whose country currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, praised Egypt’s leading role as a pillar of regional stability, as well as its efforts to consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza, and support diplomatic and consensual solutions.
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