“Today, as we celebrate together the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum [GEM], we are inscribing a new chapter in the annals of both the present and the future in the enduring story of this ancient nation,” President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi said during the opening ceremony of the GEM on 1 November.
“Throughout the ages, Egypt has stood as an unwavering oasis of stability, a confluence of diverse cultures, and a perpetual guardian of human heritage,” the president stressed as he addressed 79 official delegations, including 39 led by kings, princes, and heads of state and government, and dozens of television networks relaying the event to the world. The presence of the visiting delegations was an opportunity for Egyptian diplomacy to underline its firm stands on various pressing regional issues, especially the current crisis in Gaza, Egypt’s efforts to contain it, and the importance of allowing humanitarian aid to ease the catastrophic situation in the Strip, and to raise the two-state solution as the only way for peace in the region.
Gaza topped most of President Al-Sisi’s meetings with European leaders, that, in addition to the developments in Sudan.
President Al-Sisi’s meeting with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Cairo a day after the opening ceremony focused on ways to support efforts to consolidate the Gaza ceasefire, ease the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid, and speed up reconstruction efforts, as well as boost international relations, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian presidency.
Al-Sisi also pointed to the importance of building on the momentum generated by the first Egypt-EU summit to deepen cooperation with Europe. The summit was held in Brussels last month.
Cairo also reiterated its willingness to work with Germany in preparation for the International Conference on Early Recovery and Reconstruction of Gaza, scheduled for this month.
Steinmeier expressed appreciation for Egypt’s pivotal mediation efforts which led to a ceasefire and to convening the Sharm El-Sheikh peace summit. Both leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to the two-state solution as the sole path forward.
The two leaders also discussed issues that affect the two countries and the region such as curbing irregular migration, regulating labour mobility, and following up on ongoing infrastructure and development projects.
A peaceful settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict also topped the agenda of President Al-Sisi’s meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Sunday.
While he underlined Egypt’s balanced relations with both Russia and Ukraine, Al-Sisi pointed to Egypt’s commitment to promoting a diplomatic solution that ensures lasting peace and stability.
Orban commended Egypt’s pivotal role in preserving regional stability and its efforts to resolve the situation in Gaza, implement a ceasefire, and ease the humanitarian crisis as well as dealing with the ongoing Sudanese crisis. In addition, both leaders looked for wider Egypt-EU coordination following the recent Egypt-EU summit.
Al-Sisi’s meeting with leaders of the Benelux bloc on Sunday was no less important. Highlighting recent developments in Gaza, Al-Sisi explained to the leaders of Benelux — a political and economic alliance encompassing Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg — the importance of taking all necessary measures to consolidate the ceasefire and ensure that much-needed aid is reaching the people in Gaza.
The leaders from both sides also agreed that the two-state solution is the only path to achieving lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.
The crisis in Sudan and its dangerous repercussions in the region was also discussed and both sides agreed on the importance of coordinating efforts to end the war and restore stability there.
On another level, President Al-Sisi’s meeting with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki focused on the integrity of Eritrea, the worrying developments in Sudan and its impact on both countries and the region, security in the Red Sea, and bilateral relations.
Al-Sisi reiterated Egypt’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Eritrea.
Protecting the sovereignty of neighbouring Somalia was another common goal that the two leaders highlighted during their meeting, as outlined in the joint statement issued following the Egypt-Eritrea-Somalia summit in Asmara in October 2024, which underscored respect for international law and the sovereignty and unity of all regional states.
Both leaders agreed on the importance of coordinating efforts to strengthen Somali state institutions and protect its unity and sovereignty.
The position of the two leaders came in reaction to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s repeated statements on the importance of having access to a seaport, describing it as an “existential issue” and a “must” for the landlocked country. This has heightened tensions in the Horn of Africa, particularly with Somalia and Eritrea.
Land-locked Ethiopia has long regarded direct access to the Red Sea as a strategic necessity. However, since the separation of Eritrea in 1993, which stripped Ethiopia of its coastline, Addis Ababa has been entirely dependent on Eritrea and Somalia for seaport access. Any talk about a seaport is regarded in Asmara or Mogadishu as implying a threat to sovereignty.
The situation in Sudan was another important issue that Al-Sisi and Afwerki tackled. Both presidents agreed on the need to support Sudan’s unity and national institutions, especially the armed forces.
Al-Sisi highlighted Egypt’s efforts within the Quad mechanism, which includes the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE, to end the conflict and ease the humanitarian crisis in Al-Fasher.
Their meeting also addressed the need to enhance cooperation to secure the Red Sea and protect freedom of navigation in this vital passage.
President Al-Sisi emphasised the importance of intensifying coordination between Egypt and Eritrea, as well as with Arab and African littoral states, to reinforce security and stability in that important region.
Afwerki ended his five-day official visit to Egypt by attending the GEM ceremony.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held several meetings with top officials including Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam during which he reaffirmed Cairo’s firm support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called for an immediate end to Israeli violations there.
The situation in Gaza, as expected, topped the list of issues discussed. Egypt’s top diplomat briefed Salam on Cairo’s efforts to consolidate the Sharm El-Sheikh peace agreement and advance preparations for Gaza’s early recovery and reconstruction conference.
The Gaza file topped the issues discussed in Abdelatty’s meeting with his Slovak counterpart Juraj Blanar on Saturday. While he condemned the continuation of the Israeli aggression, Abdelatty reviewed with Blanar Cairo’s efforts to reach a ceasefire and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Strip. He also stressed that peace in the region cannot be realised except through the two-state solution.
The latest development in Gaza was also tackled during Abdelatty’s meeting with his Austrian and Danish counterparts on Saturday.
Given that Rwanda is one of the Nile Basin states, Abdelatty’s meeting with his Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe focused on Nile water security. Abdelatty highlighted that Egypt favours cooperation based on international law and mutual benefit among all Nile Basin countries and rejects any unilateral measures in the Eastern Nile that could undermine those principles.
He added that Egypt would take all necessary measures, consistent with international law, to safeguard its national water security.
Boosting bilateral relations as well as regional peacebuilding, particularly in the Great Lakes region, and the situation in Sudan were also tackled during the meeting.
Abdelatty also met African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, reaffirming Egypt’s “unwavering position” on Sudan, and emphasising that Cairo supports the country’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. He also called for intensified African and international efforts to preserve Sudanese national institutions.
The arrangements for the deployment of Egyptian forces to the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) was also tackled during the meeting.
Abdelatty pointed to the need for a comprehensive approach to regional crises in the African continent, an approach that goes beyond security to include development, intellectual engagement, and capacity building, as essential for stability and supporting post-conflict recovery across Africa.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 6 November, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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