Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met on Tuesday with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly to discuss regional crises and ways to strengthen co-operation, the Cabinet said.
Madbouly conveyed President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s greetings to Guterres and praised his leadership of the United Nations over the past decade amid exceptionally difficult international conditions.
He also hailed what he described as Guterres’s ‘historic and courageous’ position on the war in Gaza and his firm opposition to Israeli violations of international resolutions.
Madbouly said Guterres would leave a significant legacy in international affairs when his term ends at the close of this year. He also praised the secretary-general’s continued co-ordination with Egypt on issues of common concern.
On UN reform, Madbouly reaffirmed Egypt’s support for Guterres’s “UN80” initiative and stressed the need for member states to retain ownership of the negotiations. He also called for the concerns of developing countries to be taken into account and warned against using the review process to reduce funding for the UN’s development pillar.
He also reiterated Cairo’s call for reform of global financial institutions to make them fairer to developing countries.
On the Palestinian issue, he reaffirmed Egypt’s call for a just, comprehensive and lasting settlement based on international legitimacy and relevant peace references.
Such a settlement, he said, should lead to the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state along the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
He highlighted Egypt’s diplomatic efforts to build Palestinian national consensus and said Cairo would continue working to ensure the full, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Guterres, for his part, expressed his deep appreciation and esteem for President Sisi and for Egypt’s leading and pivotal role within the UN system and in supporting multilateral international action.
He described Egypt as a key pillar of regional security and stability and praised its “balanced” approach to regional crises.
The two officials also discussed developments in Lebanon, Sudan and Yemen, as well as the Palestinian issue, stressing the need to prioritise diplomatic solutions and intensify coordination to reduce tensions and support regional and international stability.
Madbouly is leading Egypt’s delegation to the UN General Assembly. Before the meeting, he signed the organisation’s protocol book.
