Ashraf AboArafe
Dr. Badr Abdel Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, received a phone call from Mr. Maris Sanjaya Mbongsa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, on Thursday, March 13.
The two ministers discussed developments in bilateral relations between Egypt and Thailand. They agreed on the importance of capitalizing on the positive momentum witnessed in bilateral relations over the past year, in light of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. This includes strengthening various aspects of bilateral relations at the political, economic, and cultural levels.
Minister Abdel Aty also praised the signing of a joint memorandum of understanding between the two countries in December 2024 to establish a joint trade committee and an action plan for economic cooperation between the two countries. He emphasized the need to capitalize on this important step to strengthen economic relations between the two countries, given the promising economic opportunities available, especially with Thailand’s recent accession as a partner member of the BRICS group.
On the other hand, the Thai Minister thanked Egypt for its efforts that led to the release of the five Thai hostages held in Gaza, appreciating Egypt’s active and ongoing role from the very beginning of the crisis. Minister Abdel Aty briefed Mr. Sanjaya Mbongsa on developments in the region, including Egypt’s efforts to consolidate the ceasefire agreement in its three phases. He emphasized the priority of providing and delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and meeting the requirements for early recovery to address the scale of destruction the Strip has suffered over the past period. In a related context, the Foreign Minister highlighted the most important outcomes of the extraordinary Arab Summit, detailing the Egyptian plan for the reconstruction of Gaza. He noted that Egypt will host a high-level ministerial conference next month to mobilize the necessary support for the Arab plan, in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations.
