Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry reiterated Egypt’s total rejection of calls made by Israeli officials to forcibly displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Egypt.
Shoukry’s remarks came during his meeting on Monday with Luxembourg’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Xavier Bettel, on the sidelines of the European Union (EU) Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, one day before holding the 10th meeting of the EU-Egypt Association Council, said Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid.
During the meeting, the foreign minister attributed the 7 October attack on Israel to a series of Israeli violations against Palestinians, saying the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can not be achieved without ending the humanitarian suffering of Palestinians and ceasing Israeli practices of violence and oppression, as well as resuming peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis, based on the two-state solution, which guarantees the establishment of an independent and viable Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967.
The top Egyptian diplomat said he looks forward to working with Bettel to enhance ties between Egypt and Luxembourg and build on friendly relations binding them ten years ago, when the Luxembourgian minister was serving as the prime minister.
The spokesman noted the two sides probed ways of fostering bilateral cooperation, stressing the importance of advancing consultation mechanisms and working to increase the exchange of visits at various levels.
Shoukry stated Egypt pays great attention to boosting economic cooperation with Luxembourg and promoting trade exchange between the two countries, in addition to rising Luxembourgian investments in the Egyptian market, especially in the sectors of infrastructure, energy and banking.
On his part, the Luxembourgian minister expressed willingness to continue pushing forward ties in different fields and coordinating positions between the two countries on regional issues.
The spokesman explained Shoukry posted Bettel on Egypt’s vision on the current crisis in Gaza and the contacts made by Cairo with different parties to reach an immediate ceasefire, amid the catastrophic and unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave.
Bettel stressed his country’s commitment to the two-state solution as the only way that guarantees lasting and just peace.
In this regard, the Luxembourgian minister voiced his country’s readiness to provide all forms of support to secure a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire and to support the efforts aimed at reviving the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations to reach a solution based on the resolutions of international legitimacy and the relevant Security Council resolutions.
Bettel commended Egypt’s pivotal role to preserve stability in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Luxembourgian minister said the EU highly values Egypt’s efforts to contain the Gaza crisis and deliver urgent humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave’s residents to alleviate their suffering.
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