Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi received on Wednesday US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Cairo to discuss the situation in the Palestinian territories.
The two parties exchanged views on how to enhance Egypt, the United States, and Qatar’s efforts to move forward with Gaza ceasefire negotiations between Palestinian factions and Israel, prisoner exchange, and humanitarian aid delivery.
During the meeting, the President was keen to stress the priority of decisive intervention to remove obstacles to the entry of huge amounts of aid to the people of Gaza, who are suffering from a living and health disaster, in addition to the need to stop Israeli violations in the West Bank, and not to continue escalation policies against the Palestinians.
The two sides stressed that the two-state solution remains the path to achieving sustainable peace and security. They agreed to intensify joint efforts between Egypt and the United States with the aim of calming and reducing escalation, in a manner that ensures the restoration of regional peace and security.
The meeting also touched on developments in the regional scene, where Al-Sisi stressed Egypt’s rejection of attempts to escalate the conflict and expand its scope regionally, pointing out the need for all parties to act responsibly, and reaffirming Egypt’s support for Lebanon in the face of the cyber attack it was subjected to.
Al-Sisi also stressed Egypt’s keenness on supporting Lebanon’s security, stability, and sovereignty.
Official spokesperson for the Egyptian presidency, Ahmed Fahmy, said that the meeting also touched on efforts to develop bilateral relations, where mutual keenness to resume the strategic dialogue was confirmed, and welcoming its convening during the current visit of the US Secretary of State to Egypt, in a manner that achieves the common interests of the two countries.
Fahmy indicated that the US Secretary conveyed to the President the greetings of his US counterpart, Joe Biden, and his appreciation for the vital role played by Egypt in restoring stability in the region, which Sisi appreciated, stressing the importance of the Egyptian-American strategic partnership in protecting the interests of the two countries and enhancing regional security.
Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Egyptian Expatriates’ Affairs; Abbas Kamel, Head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service; and US Ambassador to Cairo Herro Garg attended the meeting.
