Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty reaffirmed Thursday Egypt’s unwavering support for Arabian Gulf security and its commitment to working closely with Gulf nations to address regional threats and challenges.

Abdelatty made the remarks while participating in the joint ministerial meeting with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

According to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the meeting aimed to enhance regional cooperation and exchange perspectives on pressing issues of mutual interest.

Highlighting Egypt’s firm stance on the Palestinian cause, Abdelatty stressed the Arab consensus on preserving the fundamental principles of Palestinian rights.

He reiterated Cairo’s steadfast support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, rejecting any attempts to displace or relocate them from their homeland.

The Egyptian FM underscored the importance of empowering the Palestinian Authority to resume governance in the Gaza Strip.

Furthermore, the participants in the meeting discussed the outcomes of the Cairo Extraordinary Arab Summit. They praised President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s initiative to host the summit and the summit’s success in achieving consensus on Egypt’s Gaza early recovery and reconstruction plan.

Moreover, the participants lauded the plan’s proposal to form a Gaza governing committee under the Palestinian government to address security, governance, and reform issues.

They also acknowledged El-Sisi’s leading role in ensuring security and stability in the Middle East and his commitment to defending Palestinian rights and Arab interests.

Egypt-Gulf ties
 

During the meeting, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to strengthening strategic partnerships with Gulf nations.

He affirmed the need to build on the outcomes of the March 2024 meeting of the Egypt-GCC political consultation mechanism in Riyadh.

At the meeting’s conclusion, the participants agreed to hold the first Egypt-Gulf Forum in Cairo later this year. High-level representatives of governments and the private sector are expected to attend.

The forum aligns with Egypt’s resolve to promote its promising investment opportunities and favourable business climate to lure investors in crucial sectors such as energy, industry, logistics, transport, and construction.

According to the Egyptian foreign ministry, Abdelatty will attend an extraordinary meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states in Jeddah.

The meeting will focus on exploring ways to support the Palestinian people amid the ongoing Israeli aggression.