Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdel-Aati stressed the need for consensus on effective mechanisms to achieve collective security in the region.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Eritrean counterpart on Wednesday, Abdel-Aati said the current regional situation requires the establishment of clear frameworks for collective security, foremost among them the swift activation of the Council of Arab and African Coastal States of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
He said such a framework would help address common challenges and strengthen cooperation among countries in the region.
Abdel-Aati added that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki had agreed on the importance of adhering to the principles of international law, particularly respect for state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.
The foreign minister said both sides also underscored the need to uphold international legal norms, including rejecting unilateral measures concerning transboundary international waterways, particularly the Nile River, in a manner that safeguards the rights and interests of all parties in accordance with international law and established conventions.
Abdel-Aati said Egypt and Eritrea had agreed to enhance coordination in monitoring developments across the Middle East.
He added that consultations between the two presidents addressed a number of pressing regional issues, including the conflict between Iran and Israel and the Palestinian cause.
The two sides also condemned Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as violations in Lebanese territory, stressing the need to contain escalating tensions in the region.
Abdel-Aati emphasized the importance of prioritizing diplomacy and peaceful political solutions as the most effective means of addressing regional and international crises.
He further noted that Egypt and Eritrea rejected Israeli practices against the Palestinian people and reaffirmed their support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
