The Foreign Minister discusses with his South African counterpart opportunities to enhance investment and regional developments

Dr. Badr Abdel-Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, received a telephone call today from Ronald Lamola, Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa, during which they discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, as well as the latest developments in the Middle East.

Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the South African Foreign Minister, at the beginning of the call, appreciated the pivotal role played by Egypt, under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in reducing escalation and tension in the region, and its active diplomatic efforts to support security and stability.

For his part, Minister Abdel-Aati conveyed the greetings of the President of the Republic to his South African counterpart, praising the growing momentum in bilateral relations between the two countries, and highlighting the importance of strengthening economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.

The Foreign Minister also expressed his hope for South Africa’s participation in the mid-year coordination summit and business forum, which will be held in El Alamein next June.

The situation in the Middle East region

Regarding developments in the Middle East region, Minister Abdel-Aati briefed his South African counterpart during the call on the intensive efforts that Egypt is making to reduce escalation in cooperation with regional partners, stressing the importance of continuing efforts to calm tensions and reduce escalation, and prioritizing the diplomatic track and dialogue to contain the situation and its repercussions.

He stressed the importance of concerted regional and international efforts to ensure the success of the negotiation process to establish a ceasefire and create the conditions for reaching an agreement between the United States and Iran to end the war.

The Foreign Minister condemns Israel's targeting of Lebanon.

In a related context, Minister Abdel-Aati condemned the brutal Israeli aggression that targeted large areas in Lebanon, stressing in this context the need to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and to stop all Israeli attacks, in order to ensure the stability of the region and spare it the risks of sliding into total chaos.

The call also addressed developments in the Palestinian issue and Egypt’s tireless efforts to support the brotherly Palestinian people. Minister Abdel-Aati stressed the importance of enabling the National Committee for the Management of Gaza to carry out its tasks from within the sector during the next stage, and providing support from the international community to enable the committee to carry out its executive responsibilities efficiently, as well as supporting the deployment of the international stabilization force in Gaza, and the unhindered entry of humanitarian and relief aid.