Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Co-operation and Egyptians Abroad Badr Abdel-Aati stressed on Sunday the importance of continuing to strengthen Egyptian-Turkish relations, deepen strategic dialogue and expand economic, trade and investment co-operation in a manner that serves the interests of both countries and their peoples.
Abdel-Aati made the remarks during a telephone call with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as part of ongoing Egyptian-Turkish coordination on bilateral relations and regional issues of mutual concern.
The two ministers welcomed the rapid progress achieved in bilateral relations in recent years and reaffirmed their commitment to following up on the outcomes of the first meeting of the High-Level Strategic Co-operation Council, held in Cairo in February 2016 under the chairmanship of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
They also underscored the importance of further developing mechanisms for strategic dialogue and strengthening economic, trade and investment cooperation.
The ministers exchanged views on the latest regional developments and efforts to de-escalate tensions, stressing the need to intensify efforts to achieve calm and reach sustainable and comprehensive understandings that reinforce regional security and stability.
They also discussed regional security arrangements aimed at strengthening stability across the region.
The discussions also addressed developments concerning the Palestinian issue, with the two ministers stressing the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the occupied Palestinian territories and the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan in both its first and second phases, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
The two ministers strongly condemned repeated Israeli violations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, reaffirming the importance of continued coordination to support efforts to end the escalation and promote regional peace and stability.
