Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty met Wednesday with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha and held a separate meeting with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to discuss the joint efforts to end the war in Gaza.
During the meetings, Abdelatty and the top Qatari statesmen agreed on the urgency of achieving an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring the entry of humanitarian aid to meet the needs of the Palestinian people.
They reaffirmed the Egyptian and Qatari efforts to prevent further escalations in the region, urging the international community to fulfil its responsibilities in achieving peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution, according to an Egyptian foreign ministry statement.
In a separate meeting, FM Abdelatty and his Qatari counterpart discussed several regional issues of common interest, including the situations in Yemen, Syria, Sudan, and the Horn of Africa and tensions in the Red Sea, read the statement.
On Sunday, US, Egyptian, Qatari, and Israeli negotiators convened in Rome to discuss an updated ceasefire and captive release proposal between Israel and Hamas, a move complicated by recent Israeli actions that threaten to derail the negotiations.
The months-long Gaza ceasefire talks have been complicated by recent escalation in tensions in the Middle East, following Israeli strikes that targeted top Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Lebanon on Tuesday and killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran on Wednesday.
Bilateral relations
In his meeting with Emir Tamim, Abdelatty commended the significant progress in Egyptian-Qatari relations over the past two years, noting that high-level visits have greatly strengthened cooperation across various sectors, according to the statement.
He also emphasized the necessity of further strengthening bilateral relations in all areas, particularly in economic and investment sectors, given Egypt’s comprehensive development and urban expansion that attract foreign investments.
Egypt’s top diplomat also welcomed Qatar’s initiatives to seek new investment opportunities in Egypt and to bolster collaboration between the Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE) and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).
He highlighted the importance of increasing trade between the two countries by facilitating Egyptian exports to the Qatari market and maintaining coordination in supporting both countries’ candidates in various international fora.
For his part, Qatar’s Emir praised the swift advancements in Egyptian-Qatari relations at all levels, which have led to increased coordination on regional challenges, and efforts to broaden the scope of cooperation.
Source: Ahram Online
