Egypt’s top diplomat Sameh Shoukry discussed in a phone call on Wednesday with acting Foreign Minister of Iran Ali Bagheri the situation in Gaza, including the Egyptian efforts to reach a ceasefire.
According to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Shoukry discussed in the phone call he received from Bagheri Egypt and Qatar’s mediation efforts, in collaboration with the UN, to reach an agreement leading to a truce.
The truce should facilitate the exchange of prisoners and detainees, ensure the delivery of aid to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and ultimately achieve a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Gaza.
In addition, the call covered topics related to bilateral relations between Egypt and Iran.
The two ministers concurred on the importance of advancing the development of bilateral relations to resolve all outstanding issues, thus paving the way for restoring ties to their normal state.
According to the statement, such rapprochement should be based on mutual respect and good neighbourliness, serving the interests of the Egyptian and Iranian peoples and regional stability.
During the call, the acting Iranian Foreign Minister expressed his appreciation for President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s condolences on the passing of the late Iranian president and other officials and for sending Minister Shoukry to Tehran to offer condolences in May. He valued Egypt’s solidarity with the Iranian people in their grief.
At the end of the call, the two ministers agreed to maintain the pace of consultations on bilateral relations and explore ways to address the ongoing crisis in Gaza at the regional and international level.
Source: Ahram Online
