Establishing independent Palestinian state only guarantee for achieving lasting peace in region
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi received on Thursday Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Mr Antonio Tajani. The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdel-Aati.
Presidency Spokesman, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said Mr Tajani conveyed to President Sisi the greetings of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and expressed her interest in strengthening relations between the two countries.
President Sisi expressing appreciation for the deep-rooted and multifaceted relations between the two countries, built on mutual respect and shared interests, said the Presidency Spokesman Ambassador Mohamed el-Shennawy.
He added that the meeting explored ways to bolster bilateral co-operation, particularly in the sectors of trade, investment, energy, agriculture, food security, and livestock, to achieve the interests of both countries and maximise the benefits of these areas.
Both sides underscored, in this respect, the importance of capitalising on current opportunities to strengthen economic ties and expand partnerships to meet the developmental aspirations of both peoples, Shennawy said.
The meeting also addressed the importance of cooperation between the two countries in combating illegal immigration, as well as cooperation in the area of regular migration, and the need to support Egypt in this regard, given its success in preventing any boats carrying illegal migrants from departing from its coast since 2016, and hosting approximately 9.5 million foreigners displaced by the crises facing the region.
The meeting also discussed the situation in Gaza, and reviewed Egypt’s ongoing mediation efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire, securing the release of hostages and detainees, and ensuring the delivery of essential humanitarian aid, Shennawy said.
President Sisi reiterated Egypt’s steadfast position rejecting the forced displacement of Palestinians from their land and any attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause.
He emphasized that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the framework of a two-state solution along the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital is the only guarantee for achieving lasting peace and stability in the region.
Minister Tajani commended Egypt’s vital role in fostering regional peace and reiterated Italy’s support for Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction initiative, which has garnered wide Arab and Islamic backing.
The two sides also exchanged views on regional developments, including the situations in Syria, Libya, and Sudan, maritime security in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and developments pertinent to negotiations between Iran and the United States regarding the Iranian nuclear issue.
The meeting confirmed Egypt’s keenness to see the stability of those countries and the protection of their resources and unity, alongside the need to resolve disputes peacefully and to push relentlessly for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the shared commitment to continued coordination and consultation on regional and international issues of mutual concern, as both countries work toward fostering peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region.
