Ashraf AboArafe
Today January 3, the Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received a delegation that includes eight members of the US Senate and House of Representatives, headed by Senator Joni Ernst, who is visiting Egypt as part of a regional tour in the region.
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs(FA), said that Minister Shukri stressed at the beginning of the meeting the strategic nature of the partnership between Egypt and the United States of America, the complexity and multiplicity of aspects and fields of this partnership, and its distinction by its cross-partisan nature. The Minister of Foreign Affairs also expressed satisfaction with the development witnessed in relations between the two countries, which reflects the awareness and determination of the two countries to strengthen them at all levels.
Minister Shoukry stressed Egypt’s aspiration for the continuation of the efforts of the two countries to develop various aspects of bilateral relations, including political, economic, commercial and military relations, noting that the sensitivity of the turbulent regional and international situations requires intensifying coordination mechanisms and joint work with the aim of establishing peace, security and stability in the Middle East, just as the two countries have succeeded in done over the past decades.
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid added that the discussions addressed a number of regional issues, most notably the situation in the Gaza Strip, where Minister Shukri stressed the need for humanitarian aid to be available in quantities that meet the needs of Palestinian citizens, expressing his aspiration for the full implementation of Security Council Resolution No. 2720, which will contribute to Urgent and sustainable access to aid to meet the humanitarian needs of the sector. He also stressed Egypt’s complete rejection of all forms of displacement of Palestinians, or the liquidation of the Palestinian cause, explaining that these ideas cannot achieve stability in the region.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the need to stop targeting civilians and the violence of Israeli settlers, and the priority and inevitability of reaching an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, expressing the need for influential international parties, especially the United States, to assume their responsibilities towards stopping Israeli violations in Gaza, calling them by their correct names, and holding their perpetrators accountable.
In connection with the dangers of expanding the conflict in the region against the backdrop of developments in the war in the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman explained that the developments of recent weeks revealed the danger of realizing the scenario of expanding the conflict, especially with the increasing severity and intensity of skirmishes on the Lebanese scene and in Iraq and Syria, stressing that security Navigation in the Red Sea is necessary for the smooth and secure movement of global trade. The discussions also addressed a number of other regional issues.
For their part, members of the delegation of the US Senate and House of Representatives stressed the importance of bilateral relations and the strategic partnership between the two countries, highlighting their keenness to consult and cooperate with Egypt regarding international and regional issues, stressing their full appreciation for the efforts undertaken by Egypt to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and its role in securing Exiting foreign nationals from the Gaza Strip and facilitating prisoner release deals. The Minister of Foreign Affairs was keen to answer the American delegation’s inquiries regarding Egypt’s vision for the future solution of the Palestinian issue, as well as its position towards dealing with claims of displacing Palestinians outside their lands, as well as the available alternatives to defuse the current crisis and escalation in the Middle East.
