Ashraf AboArafe
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesman and Director of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Mr. Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs, received Lord Tariq Ahmed, Minister of State for Middle Eastern and North African Affairs in the United Kingdom, on March 28.
The official spokesman for the Foreign Ministry stated that the discussions between Minister Shukri and the British Minister of State focused extensively on the Gaza Strip crisis, and the paths of consultation between the two countries to stop the ongoing war and limit the humanitarian crisis in the Strip and its disastrous repercussions. The British Minister of State was keen to listen to Minister Shukri’s assessment of the various aspects of the crisis, as Minister Shukri, for his part, stressed the priority of a complete ceasefire to preserve the lives of Palestinian civilians, noting the need for the Security Council to ensure the immediate implementation of Resolution 2728, and to build on it to achieve a permanent ceasefire for what After the month of Ramadan, the full introduction of humanitarian aid meets the urgent needs of the Palestinians in Gaza.
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid explained that the two ministers discussed international efforts to enhance the access of humanitarian aid through all land routes, airdrops, and the sea corridor initiative, and the joint efforts of the two countries to enhance the flow of aid to the sector.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated the need for international parties to assume their legal and humanitarian responsibilities to achieve full implementation of the provisions of Resolution 2720 and to activate the work of the international mechanism to coordinate and monitor the aid entry process.
Mr. Sameh Shukri also stressed the need to pressure Israel to open all land crossings with the Gaza Strip as it is the most effective path to ensure adequate implementation of aid, as well as ensuring the entry of aid to all areas, including northern Gaza. This is what the British official guaranteed.
The official spokesman added that the Foreign Minister reaffirmed during the meeting Egypt’s categorical rejection of any military operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah, due to the grave humanitarian repercussions it would have for the residents of the Strip and its effects on the stability of the region, stressing the need for Israel to comply with its responsibilities as the occupying power. First and foremost is providing protection for the people under occupation, ensuring that their basic needs are met and that they are not displaced from their land.
Ambassador Abu Zeid added that the discussions also extended to include the current tensions in the region against the backdrop of the crisis in Gaza, including threats to the security of navigation in the Red Sea, and in the Lebanese arena, where the two parties stressed the need to intensify international movements to contain and prevent the expansion of violence into parts of the country. others in the region, in order to preserve international peace and security. The discussions also touched on a number of regional issues, as the British Minister of State listened to Minister Shukri’s assessments about the situation in Sudan and Egyptian efforts to cease fire, as well as the situation in Libya and Yemen.
For his part, the British Minister of State expressed his country’s appreciation for the joint cooperation between Egypt and the United Kingdom to work to enhance the flow of aid to Gaza, and as an important partner supporting stability and security in the region, appreciating the pivotal role that Egypt has played since the beginning of the crisis to reach calm, and its keenness to provide and deliver Aid to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing, receiving injured Palestinians in Egyptian hospitals, in addition to the exchange of prisoners and detainees, and the exit of foreign nationals from the Gaza Strip.
The official spokesman concluded his statements, noting that the two ministers stressed the importance of finding the appropriate political horizon to deal with the Palestinian issue on the basis of a two-state solution in accordance with the accepted decisions of international legitimacy, as Minister Shukri reiterated the need for international parties to adopt a different approach than before when dealing with the future of the issue. The Palestinian Authority is accompanied by a serious move towards recognizing the Palestinian state and approving its full membership within the United Nations.
