Egypt, Romania Stress Peaceful Solutions to Regional Disputes

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace on Wednesday (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace on Wednesday (Egyptian Presidency)
TT

Egypt, Romania Stress Peaceful Solutions to Regional Disputes

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace on Wednesday (Egyptian Presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace on Wednesday (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt and Romania agreed Wednesday on the importance of exerting concerted efforts to achieve peaceful solutions to regional disputes.

This came during a meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, at Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo.

The Egyptian Presidency’s spokesperson, Bassam Radi, said Sisi looked forward to further advancing bilateral cooperation with Romania.

Sisi had visited Bucharest in June 2019, marking the first visit by an Egyptian President to Romania in about 15 years.

Radi said the two presidents discussed ways to promote cooperation, mainly in trade, and they commended the convening of the Egyptian-Romanian Economic Forum on the sidelines of the Romanian President’s current visit to Egypt.

The talks also touched on cooperation in the field of energy, given the two countries’ commitment to diversifying their sources of energy.

Also, the two presidents underscored the importance of exerting concerted efforts to achieve peaceful solutions to regional disputes.

Within this framework, they agreed on the importance of holding elections in Libya in December 2021 to give the Libyan people the chance to choose a united government that would preserve the country’s security, stability, unity and sovereignty.

Sisi and Iohannis stressed the need to commit to UN resolutions on the withdrawal of all mercenaries and foreign forces from Libya.

The two officials also tackled the latest developments in efforts to revive the peace process in the Middle East, and ensure calm between Israel and the Palestinians.

Sisi reviewed his country’s efforts to combat terrorism and extremist ideology, underlining the need for the international community to address its root-causes through a comprehensive approach.

Sisi underscored Egypt’s commitment to combating illegal migration and highlighted his country’s efforts in successfully addressing the movement of refugees across the Mediterranean.

For his part, Iohannis confirmed his keenness on furthering coordination and consultations between the two countries, highlighting Egypt’s pivotal role under the leadership of Sisi to reinforce stability and security in the Middle East and Africa.

He valued Egyptian efforts to combat terrorism and extremist ideology, as well as the successful Egyptian experience in addressing illegal migration, also lauding Cairo’s efforts to enhance dialogue among African and Arab countries and EU states.

“Romania is keen on supporting Egypt’s stance and conveying it to the EU, in light of it being one of the most important neighborhood countries to the EU,” Radi said.



Palestinian NGO to Ask UK Court to Block F-35 Parts to Israel over Gaza War

Protesters demonstrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice ahead of a legal challenge brought by the Palestinian NGO Al-Haq over Britain's exports of parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel, amid its conflict with Hamas, in London, Britain, November 18, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Tobin
Protesters demonstrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice ahead of a legal challenge brought by the Palestinian NGO Al-Haq over Britain's exports of parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel, amid its conflict with Hamas, in London, Britain, November 18, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Tobin
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Palestinian NGO to Ask UK Court to Block F-35 Parts to Israel over Gaza War

Protesters demonstrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice ahead of a legal challenge brought by the Palestinian NGO Al-Haq over Britain's exports of parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel, amid its conflict with Hamas, in London, Britain, November 18, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Tobin
Protesters demonstrate outside the Royal Courts of Justice ahead of a legal challenge brought by the Palestinian NGO Al-Haq over Britain's exports of parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel, amid its conflict with Hamas, in London, Britain, November 18, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Tobin

Britain is allowing parts for F-35 fighter jets to be exported to Israel despite accepting they could be used in breach of international humanitarian law in Gaza, lawyers for a Palestinian rights group told a London court on Monday.

West Bank-based Al-Haq, which documents alleged rights violations by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, is taking legal action against Britain's Department for Business and Trade at London's High Court, Reuters reported.

Israel has been accused of violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza war, with the UN Human Rights Office saying nearly 70% of fatalities it has verified were women and children, a report Israel rejected.

Israel says it takes care to avoid harming civilians and denies committing abuses and war crimes in the conflicts with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Al-Haq's case comes after Britain in September suspended 30 of 350 arms export licences, though it exempted the indirect export of F-35 parts, citing the impact on the global F-35 programme.

Al-Haq argues that decision was unlawful as there is a clear risk F-35s could be used in breach of international humanitarian law.

British government lawyers said in documents for Monday's hearing that ministers assessed Israel had committed possible breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL) in relation to humanitarian access and the treatment of detainees.

Britain also "accepts that there is clear risk that F-35 components might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of IHL", its lawyer James Eadie said.

Eadie added that Britain had nonetheless decided that F-35 components should still be exported, quoting from advice to defense minister John Healey that suspending F-35 parts "would have a profound impact on international peace and security".

A full hearing of Al-Haq's legal challenge is likely to be heard early in 2025.

The Gaza health ministry says more than 43,800 people have been confirmed killed since the war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023.