Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed here on Monday that his talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov tackled a number of regional issues, atop of which is ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and reinforcing two-state solution.
Talks also tackled supporting all ways that aim at reaching a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue that guarantees the establishment of a Palestinian state within 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, Shoukry said at a joint press conference with Lavrov.
Shoukry said we will continue close coordination over the Palestinian issue, including the file of inter-Palestinian reconciliation in which Egypt plays a key role to close in Palestinian ranks and materialize the aspirations of brotherly Palestinians.
He expressed appreciation for the periodical meetings being held between the Egyptian and Russian sides at a ministerial level and the convocation of the joint trade committee.
Shoukry lauded efforts to activate spheres of bilateral cooperation that serve the interests of the two sides and set an example of fruitful cooperation, citing Dabaa nuclear plant, the industrial zone and efforts to increase tourism traffic.
The Egyptian foreign minister said he hopes trade exchange, that was adversely affected by the outbreak of Covid 19 pandemic, would return to previous levels.
Shoukry said talks with Lavrov tackled ways of preserving the stability and integrity of Libyan territories and activating the roadmap adopted during the Libyan National Forum meetings.
The two sides underlined the importance of holding presidential and parliamentary elections on December 24, cementing the ceasefire and getting all foreign fighters out of Libyan territories.
Egypt will continue offering support to Libya to achieve these targets until the legitimate institutions regain their full role to preserve the sovereignty of the Libyan territories and eradicate all terrorist organizations that are taking refuge in Libya to jeopardize the stability of the North African country and the entire Sahel and Sahara region, Shoukry said.
This requires enhancing cooperation either at the bilateral or international levels to eradicate this serious phenomenon that threatens us all, he added.
Shoukry said he discussed with Lavrov the situation in Syria and the importance of settling the years-long crisis in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.
He said he updated the Russian minister on the outcome of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) file on the back of the presidential statement that was issued by the UN Security Council in this regard.
He expressed thanks to Russia for supporting Egypt in this case at the UNSC.
Shoukry made clear that this case is fateful for the future of Egypt and its people, underlining the importance of reaching a solution as quickly as possible through resuming consultations under the sponsorship of the African Union to reach a legal and binding agreement that guarantees the rights of the three sides and defuses any tension that might appear with the continuation of unilateral acts that are inconsistent with international law and norms.
