Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Saturday, in the presence of Abbas Kamel, the head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, and Ali Al-Halabi, the ambassador of Lebanon in Cairo. The meeting discussed the bilateral relations, the regional situation, and the Israeli military escalation in Gaza.
According to the Egyptian presidency spokesperson Ahmed Fahmy, President Al-Sisi expressed Egypt’s steadfast support for the Lebanese state institutions and the stability and security of the Lebanese people. He also praised the Egyptian role in consolidating stability in Lebanon, reflecting the special relationship between the two countries.
The meeting also explored ways to enhance cooperation in various fields and exchanged views on the latest developments in Gaza, where Israel has been launching airstrikes and shelling since Monday, killing more than 200 Palestinians and injuring over 1,000 others. Mikati thanked Egypt for its responsible and active role in addressing the crisis, both politically and humanitarian.
Al-Sisi expressed Egypt’s deep concern over the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. He stressed the need for the international community to intervene and work to end the violence and resume the peace process based on the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state under the approved international references.
The two sides also stressed the need for the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in this regard, through intensive work to contain the situation and avoid the expansion of violence. They agreed on the need to relaunch the path of peace and apply the principle of the two-state solution, to achieve justice, security and stability for the peoples of the region.
In a separate meeting, Al-Sisi received Cindy Lou McCain, the executive director of the World Food Programme, in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture and land Reclamation El-Sayed El-Kosayer. Al-Sisi reviewed the intensive efforts being carried out by Egypt around the clock to ensure the entry of as much aid as possible to the Gaza Strip, to meet the real needs of the people of the Strip as Egyptian efforts continue with various regional and international parties to push for an immediate ceasefire.
McCain thanked Egypt for the pivotal leadership role it plays in providing support to the people of the Strip, whether through direct Egyptian support or the coordination of assistance provided by international parties, including the World Food Programme and other relevant UN organizations.
Fahmy stated that the meeting also discussed the distinguished and extended cooperation relations between Egypt and the programme, and the affirmation of mutual keenness to strengthen these relations, especially in light of the adoption of the new country plan between Egypt and the programme for the period from 2023 to 2028.
Al-Sisi stressed the importance that Egypt attaches to the issues of food security and nutrition at the national level, especially concerning the school feeding programme, and the initiatives “Decent Life” and “Takaful & Karama”, which contribute to achieving food security through the development of the Egyptian countryside and securing livelihoods for millions of Egyptians. McCain expressed her follow-up and appreciation of the mentioned projects, which are successful models to benefit from in other countries.
