In a press conference from Moscow along with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Shoukry said that the GERD issue is fateful for the future of Egypt and its people, underlining the importance of reaching a solution as quickly as possible through African Union-sponsored talks to reach to a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation policies of the dam.
Shoukry added that he discussed with Lavrov the latest developments concerning the GERD.
The Egyptian FM also delivered a handwritten letter from Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin
Aside from the latest developments in the GERD issue, the two foreign ministers discussed the latest developments in the Libyan crisis, the situation in Syria and bilateral relations between Egypt and Russia.
Concerning Libya, Shoukry said that his talks with Lavrov tackled preserving the stability and integrity of Libya's territories and activating the roadmap adopted during the Libyan National Forum meetings.
The two sides underlined the importance of holding presidential and parliamentary elections on 24 December, cementing the ceasefire and getting all foreign fighters out of Libya.
Concerning the latest developments in Syria, Shoukry said his meeting with Syrian FM Faisal Mekdad, which took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York, was very important in light of the current development in the Syrian crisis, reiterating Egypt's keenness on getting Syria out of the current crisis and ending the suffering of the Syrian people.
Shoukry said the aim of the meeting is to listen to the Syrian government’s vision and deliver its messages regarding the importance of fully implementing international legitimacy resolutions related to Syria.
The meeting also aimed at discussing measures that preserve the security, unity and independence of Syria while taking into account the importance of it being an active part of the Arab region, he added.
The Egyptian foreign minister added that Egypt is waiting for measures to be taken by the Syrian government within the framework of reaching a political solution to the years-old crisis, the activation of the constitutional committee and steps to improve humanitarian conditions for Syrians.
Shoukry reiterated Egypt’s unwavering support for the stability and security of Syria and the necessity of getting whoever violates Syrian sovereignty out of its territories, underlining the importance of recognising the sovereignty and integrity of Syrian territories and maintaining cooperation based on international consensus to end the conflict there and achieving stability.
The Russian FM said that there is a necessity to provide aid to Syrians to help them overcome the decade-long crisis and work on reaching a political settlement based on UNSC resolution 2254.
Lavrov also expressed concern about the continued terrorist threats in Syria, pointing out that terrorist groups still exist in Idlib and attack Syrian and Russian troops.
Lavrov said that his country supports agreements on the isolation of terrorist groups like the Syrian Liberation Front.
On the presence of foreign troops in Syria, the Russian foreign minister said resolution 54/22 was adopted unanimously at the UNSC to reaffirm the unity of Syrian lands.
When asked about the Palestinian cause, the Russian diplomat said the two countries agreed on the importance of a two-state solution based on direct talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Lavrov also expressed his country's support for the directs talks and the resumption of the activities of the quartet committee with the participation of the Arab League and Russia.
The Russian FM said Egypt exerts huge efforts to extend assistance to the Palestinians.
When it comes to the economic bilateral relations between Egypt and Russia, Lavrov said investment projects with Egypt, topped by the Dabaa new clean energy plant, along with the Russian industrial zone in Egypt, will be fully implemented.
The Russian top diplomat said the economic government committee for trade cooperation with Egypt discussed the latest developments in Egyptian-Russian relations.
On tourism between Egypt and Russia, Lavrov said the two sides are working to develop the tourist domain and resume flights between Russian cities and Egyptian tourist resort towns, pointing out that relations between the two countries improved recently especially in the economic and financial fields.
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