UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland met with Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry Thursday in Cairo to discuss the latest developments on the Palestinian cause and efforts to push forward the peace process.
“Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry asserted during his meeting with Wennesland the importance exerting efforts to provide an appropriate climate to restore negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides,” said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez.
Shoukry also underlined the need for a real will to work on coordinating with the regional and international sides concerned to push forward the peace process based on the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
For his part, Wennesland hailed Egypt’s efforts in supporting peace efforts as well as Egypt’s initiative to reconstruct the Gaza Strip.
According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the two officials also agreed on the importance of continuing communication and coordination in the upcoming period.
In a separate meeting, Wennesland held talks with Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and the two discussed the latest developments in the occupied territories, the situation in Palestine and Israel, and the dangers of the absence of a settlement path.
“During the meeting, Aboul Gheit expressed his deep concern over the rise of Israeli violations in the West Bank and Jerusalem, including the increasing settlement expansion and the Israeli government’s announcements of plans to build thousands of housing units in the occupied territories, as well as the rise of settlers’ attacks and the policy of home demolitions,” an AL official source said.
The source added that Aboul Gheit listened to the UN envoy’s assessment of the situation, including the ongoing deterioration of the humanitarian conditions in Gaza, and the major economic difficulties that the Palestinian Authority is facing in the West Bank.
