Egyptian-French talks on Gaza, Lebanon, and US-Iranian negotiations

Written by: Mohammed Omran 

In May, Dr. Badr Abdel-Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, received Jean-Noël Barrault, the French Foreign Minister. The meeting addressed ways to strengthen strategic relations between the two friendly countries, as well as regional developments and ways to reduce escalation in the region.

Egyptian-French talks on Gaza and Lebanon

The two ministers praised the depth of bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, especially after the upgrading of relations to the level of strategic partnership, and expressed their aspiration to raise the level of cooperation in all fields, especially economic and trade.

Regarding regional issues, the two ministers reviewed the developments in the negotiation process between the United States and Iran. Minister Abdel-Aati stressed the importance of supporting the negotiation process as the only way to reduce escalation and end the war, emphasizing the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and taking into account the security concerns of the Arab Gulf states, and affirming Egypt’s condemnation of the unjustified attacks on brotherly Arab countries.

The two ministers also exchanged views on developments in the Palestinian issue, with Minister Abdel-Aati stressing the importance of implementing the requirements of the first phase of the American plan and starting to implement the second phase, pointing to the importance of the National Committee for the Management of the Gaza Strip carrying out its tasks from within the Strip, and the rapid deployment of the international stability force.

The meeting addressed the situation in Lebanon, where the Foreign Minister stressed Egypt’s supportive stance towards Lebanon, emphasizing Egypt’s condemnation of the repeated Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty, the need to preserve the unity and integrity of Lebanese territory, and to support national institutions to fully assume their responsibilities in maintaining the security and stability of the country.

For his part, the French Foreign Minister praised the development of Egyptian-French relations in various fields, expressing their deep appreciation for the tireless efforts made by Egypt to contain the escalation in the region.

The two foreign ministers agreed to continue close coordination and consultation and to work together to reduce escalation and support security and stability in the region.