Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty stated today, Saturday, at a press conference with his French counterpart Stéphane Séjourné, that "serious developments in the region and their catastrophic consequences in the Gaza Strip were discussed." The Egyptian Foreign Minister emphasized, "Our discussions focused on the situation in the region and efforts to prevent escalation." He added that "Egyptian and French views are aligned on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza."
Badr Abdel Aty expressed his country's appreciation for French efforts with partners in the region to reduce regional tensions. He stated, "We look forward to France's continued decisive positions in supporting the two-state solution." He mentioned, "We talked about the priority of recognizing the Palestinian state at this time to give hope to the struggling Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank to achieve their legitimate aspirations for establishing their independent state on the borders of June 4, with East Jerusalem as its capital."
The Egyptian minister noted that both sides discussed the results of the Doha negotiations and preparations for the upcoming round of Cairo negotiations to reach an agreement ensuring the release of detainees and Palestinian prisoners.
For his part, the French minister affirmed the necessity of a ceasefire to put an end to the suffering of Gazans and the release of those held in Gaza. The French minister met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on Saturday, where they reviewed the aspects of cooperation between the two countries, focusing on the Gaza crisis and the importance of preventing the region from slipping into a regional war. The French minister listened to President El-Sisi's perspective on efforts to achieve a ceasefire, as well as regarding several regional issues, primarily the situation in Lebanon and the Horn of Africa.
