(AFP Photo)
Nabil Fahmy assured his French and American counterparts of Egypt’s commitment to the transitional process during his visit to Paris.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs met with French minister Laurent Fabius on Monday morning in the French capital. Fahmy stressed to Fabius the interim Egyptian government “rejects the acts of violence and terrorism, which [Egypt] has witnessed recently.” Fahmy also called for the French and the European Union “to adopt clear and strong positions against the violence and terrorism in Egypt.”
The Egyptian minister also highlighted the government’s commitment to the transitional roadmap as set out by the armed forces following the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in July.
Fahmy and Fabius also discussed the Syrian conflict and the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli final status negotiations. On Syria Fahmy expressed Egypt’s opposition to a military strike on Syrian regime targets, something that the French president openly supports. Fahmy stressed that Egypt is pursuing a political solution and that position is “based on the need to respect the United Nations Charter and international legitimacy.” Fahmy also expressed Egypt’s rejection of the use of chemical weapons and calls for the perpetrators to be held accountable once there is solid evidence.
Fahmy reiterated Egypt’s policy on achieving peace between Israel and Palestine pointing out that it supports the aspirations of the Palestinian people “to achieve an independent state on the borders of June 1967 with its capital in East Jerusalem.” He also called for Israel to review its policies and to “stop taking positions that would hinder negotiations.”
United States Secretary of State John Kerry was assured by Fahmy that Egypt is progressing with its ongoing transition to democracy in their meeting on Sunday.
Kerry said “[Fahmy] assured me and demonstrated a specific schedule by which Egypt is moving towards democracy.” Kerry added, “They have succeeded in the first step with respect to the constitutional process, and they are now moving on a schedule with a larger committee.”
Kerry’s remarks came in a joint press conference with Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs Khalid bin Muhammad al-Atiyah after a follow up meeting with Arab League foreign ministers on the Arab Peace Initiative.
Fahmy also affirmed Egypt’s commitment to the Middle East Peace Process, security in the Sinai including the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire, and that Egypt “want[s] to be a constructive force in helping provide for that peace process.”
The meeting held under the auspices of the French government included Kerry, the Arab ministers from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Secretary General of the League Nabil El-Araby. In a joint statement, the Arab delegation “expressed its full support for the Secretary of State’s efforts and for the agreed upon nine month timeline” to remain engaged in final status negotiations.
