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Macron, Sisi Discuss Regional, Int’l Issues

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) welcomes Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L), before their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 22 July 2022. (EPA)
French President Emmanuel Macron (R) welcomes Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L), before their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 22 July 2022. (EPA)
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Macron, Sisi Discuss Regional, Int’l Issues

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) welcomes Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L), before their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 22 July 2022. (EPA)
French President Emmanuel Macron (R) welcomes Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L), before their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 22 July 2022. (EPA)

French President Emmanuel Macron received in Paris on Friday his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for official talks on a range of international and regional developments.

Egyptian presidency spokesman Bassam Rady said the Egyptian-French summit tackled several regional issues, especially developments in the Palestinian Territories and efforts to revive the peace process.

Macron expressed his appreciation of Cairo’s role to that end, he added.

Sisi, for his part, stressed his country’s firm position for the need to reach a just and comprehensive solution that ensures the rights of the Palestinian people and establishes an independent state according to international resolutions.

They addressed developments in Libya and Lebanon.

Sisi said there can be no settlement to crises there without political solutions that preserve their territorial integrity and national institutions.

Macron said France was eager to intensify coordination with Egypt over affairs in the Middle East given its influential role in the region, Rady added.

France is Sisi’s third stop in a tour of Europe that had taken him to Germany and Serbia.

His talks in Paris are part of the ongoing consultations between Paris and Cairo and the close political, defense, economic, trade, cultural and scientific ties that bind them.

Sis and Macron have met five times in the past two years. Sisi visited Paris twice in 2021 to take part in conferences on Sudan, Libya and oceans.

Official sources in Paris said France is “very keen” on consulting with Egypt given the “significant” role Cairo plays in several crises. They revealed that Paris is eager to cooperate with Egypt over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Macron had received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday. Their talks focused on reviving Palestinian-Israeli negotiations that have been suspended since 2014.

In early July, the French president welcome Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.

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Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
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Iraqi Foreign Minister: We Have Received Explicit Israeli Threats

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid addresses the Peace Forum in Duhok (Rudaw Network)

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stated on Friday that Iraq has received explicit threats from Israel, adding that the country’s armed forces have been instructed by the prime minister to prevent any attacks originating from Iraqi territory.

According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed the armed forces to take action against anyone launching attacks from the country. The foreign minister emphasized that Iraq does not seek war and aims to avoid its dangers, noting that the region is “on fire” and facing “clear threats from Israel.”

The agency also reported that the Iraqi government has requested an emergency meeting of the Arab League Council to address Israeli threats. Iraq’s permanent representative to the Arab League submitted a request for a session at the level of permanent representatives of member states to confront what was described as menaces from the “Zionist entity.”

Earlier, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that he had sent a message to the president of the UN Security Council urging immediate action against activities of Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Sa’ar asserted that the Iraqi government bears responsibility for any actions occurring within or emanating from its territory.

Meanwhile, Iraqi officials have expressed pessimism about the outcome of the ongoing war in the Middle East. Nevertheless, they emphasized Baghdad’s commitment to supporting efforts to achieve lasting peace and security.

Speaking at the American University Forum in Duhok on Friday, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani highlighted that the challenges facing Iraq have fundamentally changed since October 7.

He described the current situation in the Middle East as a “second Nakba”, stressing that the challenges stem from the failure of the international system, which he described as “ambiguous.”

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid stated that Iraq would play its role in promoting peace in the Middle East and expressed his full support for efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue in Türkiye.

Speaking at the Duhok Forum, Rashid said that Iraq and the region are facing circumstances that require all parties to closely monitor the situation and find appropriate solutions to ongoing problems, emphasizing the need for lasting peace and security.

Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, called for Iraq to remain neutral in the conflict, saying: “The crises in the region and the scenes of war in Lebanon and Gaza are tragic. We hope this suffering will come to an end.”

“We are all awaiting changes following the US presidential election. All indications suggest that a Trump administration will adopt a different approach compared to President Biden’s policies,” he added.

The Iraqi government has stated that under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with the United States, Washington is responsible for “deterring and responding to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.”

According to media reports, the US has informed Baghdad that Israeli military strikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless Baghdad prevents Iran-backed factions from launching attacks against Israel.