President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met, on Wednesday, a delegation from the Democratic and Republican parties from various committees in the US Congress, led by Senator Joni Ernst, along with Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry.
The official spokesperson of the presidency, Ahmed Fahmy, said that the meeting affirmed the importance and centrality of the strategic partnership and close relations between Egypt and the United States.
The American delegation expressed the eagerness of the US, and the Congress in particular, to enhance areas of cooperation between the two countries, acknowledging Egypt’s regional status and role and its relentless efforts to promote security, stability, and development in the region.
The meeting witnessed an open dialogue between the president and the American delegation on the regional developments, especially in the Gaza Strip, where the president outlined the general context of the current situation, emphasising the need to work earnestly on a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Al-Sisi stressed that the current priority was to reach a ceasefire, protect civilians, and provide relief assistance in adequate amounts to address the humanitarian crisis faced by the people of the Gaza Strip, in line with and in the implementation of the relevant UN resolutions. The president reiterated Egypt’s total rejection of attempts to undermine the Palestinian issue by displacing Palestinians from their lands.
The members of the delegation commended the effort and the valued role played by Egypt on the political and humanitarian tracks, asking about the president’s future vision in this regard. He stressed that the only way to achieve sustainable security and stability in the region was a settlement based on justice, to ensure real security for all the peoples of the region, and defuse crises and wars at this level.
The president also stressed the importance of intensive and responsible work to avoid the factors of the escalation of the conflict in the region, because of the serious implications for regional and international peace and security.
Minister Shoukry also expressed Egypt’s total rejection of all forms of displacement of Palestinians, or the undermining of the Palestinian cause, explaining that these ideas could not achieve stability in the region.
Shoukry made the remarks during a meeting on Wednesday with an eight-member delegation led by Senator Joni Ernst, who was visiting Egypt as part of a regional tour.
Ahmed Abu Zeid, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Shoukry emphasised the strategic nature of the partnership between Egypt and the United States, the complexity and diversity of aspects and areas of this partnership characterised by its bipartisan nature. The foreign minister also expressed satisfaction with the progress of relations between the two countries, reflecting the awareness and determination of the two countries to strengthen them at all levels.
Shoukry said that Egypt looked forward to the continuation of the efforts of the two countries to develop various aspects of bilateral relations, including political, economic, trade, and military. He pointed out that the sensitivity of the turbulent regional and international situations required the intensification of coordination mechanisms and joint action to establish peace, security, and stability in the Middle East, as the two countries had succeeded in doing over the past decades.
The talks addressed several regional issues, foremost of which was the situation in the Gaza Strip, where Shoukry stressed the need to provide humanitarian aid in amounts that met the needs of Palestinian citizens, expressing his hope for the full implementation of the Security Council resolution to contribute to the urgent and sustainable delivery of aid to meet the humanitarian needs of the Strip.
The Foreign Minister stressed the need to stop the targeting of civilians and the violence of Israeli settlers, and the priority and necessity of reaching an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, expressing the need for the influential international parties, led by the US, to assume their responsibilities towards stopping Israeli violations in Gaza and calling them by their proper names and holding the perpetrators accountable.
Regarding the risks of expanding the conflict in the region due to the developments of the war in the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson explained that the developments of recent weeks had revealed the danger of achieving the scenario of expanding the conflict, especially with the increasing intensity and frequency of clashes on the Lebanese scene and in Iraq and Syria, stressing that the security of navigation in the Red Sea was essential for the flow and security of world trade.
The members of the US Senate and House delegation stressed the importance of bilateral relations and strategic partnership between the two countries, highlighting their keenness to consult and cooperate with Egypt on international and regional issues. They expressed their full appreciation for the efforts undertaken by Egypt to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and its role in securing the exit of foreign nationals from the Strip and facilitating prisoner exchange deals.
The Foreign Minister was keen to answer the questions of the American delegation regarding Egypt’s vision for the future of resolving the Palestinian issue, as well as its position on dealing with the displacement of Palestinians from their lands, as well as the alternatives available to defuse the crisis and the current escalation in the Middle East.
