Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty with his Japanese counterpart Yuko Kamikawa during a meeting in Tokyo on Sunday. Photo courtesy of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry
The meeting came amid the regional escalation witnessed in the past few hours on the Lebanese front between Hezbollah and Israel, the statement said.
It is the second meeting in 48 hours between Kamikawa and Abdelatty, who is currently in Japan to attend the Ministerial Meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), held upon a request from the Japanese top diplomat.
Early on Sunday, the Lebanese group fired hundreds of rockets and drones to retaliate for the killing of its leader Fouad Shukr in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburb in July.
During the meeting, both ministers underscored the importance of enhancing joint efforts, in collaboration with international and regional partners, to avoid slipping into a regional war that threatens the security and stability of the whole region.
Moreover, they stressed the importance of pushing efforts to achieve an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, secure the release of captives and detainees, and ensure unconditional access to humanitarian and medical aid to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.
According to the statement, holding a second meeting reflects the interest in consultation and coordination between Japan and Egypt, which has played a significant role in mediation to stop tensions escalation in the Middle East from the beginning.
The statement said the meeting also emphasizes Japan's commitment to halting regional escalation and achieving peace.
Egypt, alongside the US and Qatar, has been mediating indirect talks between Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire deal in the 10-month-old Israeli war in Gaza.
On Sunday, a high-level Israeli delegation, including Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, was reported to be heading to Cairo for urgent talks regarding the Gaza ceasefire.
A day earlier, Cairo hosted a Hamas delegation to brief it on the outcomes of the ongoing ceasefire talks.
On Friday, the White House said progress has been made at the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo.
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