Egypt FM Stresses Keenness of Arab Ministerial Liaison Committee to Resolve Syria Crisis

Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and other officials attend a meeting in Cairo, Egypt, August 15, 2023. (Reuters)
Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and other officials attend a meeting in Cairo, Egypt, August 15, 2023. (Reuters)
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Egypt FM Stresses Keenness of Arab Ministerial Liaison Committee to Resolve Syria Crisis

Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and other officials attend a meeting in Cairo, Egypt, August 15, 2023. (Reuters)
Lebanon's caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and other officials attend a meeting in Cairo, Egypt, August 15, 2023. (Reuters)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received on Sunday a phone call from Geir Pedersen, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, to discuss the outcomes of the meeting of the Arab Ministerial Liaison Committee on Syria, which was held in Cairo on August 15.

Shoukry stressed the committee's keenness to complete the task entrusted to it in order to reach a settlement to the Syrian crisis, and to preserve the unity and stability of Syria, said Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry.

Pedersen, for his part, underlined his keenness on coordinating with the various concerned parties to build on the agreements reached at the meeting.

Last week, the committee underscored that a political solution is the only way to resolve the Syrian crisis.

It hoped that the constitutional path would be resumed to achieve that goal, including holding a meeting of the Constitutional Committee in Oman before the end of the year.

The Cairo meeting also emphasized the importance of intensified efforts to end the humanitarian suffering of the Syrian people and the need to address the refugee crisis.

Shoukry and Pedersen agreed to meet on the sideline of the United Nations General Assembly next month.



Egypt Says Partnership with Spain is Crucial

Traditional 'Fanous' lanterns are displayed at a local market in Al Sayeda Zeinab, Cairo, Egypt, 26 February 2025. EPA/MOHAMED HOSSAM
Traditional 'Fanous' lanterns are displayed at a local market in Al Sayeda Zeinab, Cairo, Egypt, 26 February 2025. EPA/MOHAMED HOSSAM
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Egypt Says Partnership with Spain is Crucial

Traditional 'Fanous' lanterns are displayed at a local market in Al Sayeda Zeinab, Cairo, Egypt, 26 February 2025. EPA/MOHAMED HOSSAM
Traditional 'Fanous' lanterns are displayed at a local market in Al Sayeda Zeinab, Cairo, Egypt, 26 February 2025. EPA/MOHAMED HOSSAM

The Egyptian government has said that the Arab summit which was held in Cairo was a confirmation to consensus among Arab and African countries, as well as the European Union and the UN, on the importance of accelerating the reconstruction process in the Gaza Strip and rejecting the displacement of Palestinians from their homeland.

It stressed that such displacement contradicts all principles of democracy and human rights that are fundamental to the developed world.

“The Arab summit reaffirmed that there is no solution to the crisis in the Gaza Strip except through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state,” said Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Wednesday.

The Egyptian position came during talks held between Madbouly and the President of the Spanish Senate, Pedro Rollan, at the government headquarters in the New Administrative Capital.

The Egyptian PM said relations between Cairo and Madrid were further strengthened following the historic visit of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to Spain last February, during which an agreement was signed to elevate the relations between the two countries to the level of strategic partnership.

“This reflects both countries' desire to intensify cooperation across various fields through practical and effective frameworks that provide platforms for continuous dialogue and consultation on regional and international issues of common interest,” the PM said.

Madbouly affirmed that Spain is an important partner for Egypt, both as a member of the European Union, with which Egypt has strategic relations, and in terms of shared Mediterranean relations.

He also expressed Egypt’s desire to enhance relations with Madrid across all levels, including political, economic, and parliamentary, commending the trade exchange rates between the two countries, which reached approximately 4 billion euros in 2024.

Madbouly affirmed that these numbers could be doubled, taking into account the nature of the needs, exports, and imports of the two countries, as well as their relative geographical proximity and direct shipping lines.

Relations between Egypt and Spain lately developed after Cairo and the European Union signed in March 2024 a Joint Declaration, in which the two sides agreed to elevate their relationship to the level of a strategic and comprehensive partnership.

Rollan indicated that his visit to Egypt aims to explore ways to enhance cooperation with the Egyptian side in various fields, especially parliamentary affairs.
“We are taking serious steps to deepen our existing relations with Egypt and to broaden their horizons, as partnership with Egypt is a priority for Spain,” he said.