Egyptian, EU, Cypriot FMs Discuss Strategic Partnership, Regional Developments

Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty received a phone call on Thursday evening, Jan. 15, from Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Konstantinos Kombos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, as part of ongoing consultations on bilateral cooperation and regional developments of mutual concern.

The call reviewed ways to strengthen the comprehensive and strategic partnership between Egypt and the European Union, particularly following the first Egypt–EU Summit held in Brussels in October 2025. The officials commended the notable progress in relations across political, economic, and security tracks, underscoring the shared commitment to continued coordination and consultation to advance mutual interests.

Discussions also covered developments in several regional crises affecting the Middle East, including the situation in Iran. The participants emphasized the importance of de-escalation and reducing tensions to prevent the region from sliding into instability and chaos, stressing that there are no military solutions to the region’s crises and highlighting the need to prioritize diplomatic approaches and political settlements that support regional security and stability.

Regarding the Palestinian issue, including the deteriorating conditions in the West Bank due to annexation policies, settlement expansion, and settler violence, as well as the situation in the Gaza Strip, the parties exchanged views on next steps following the transition to the second phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan. They agreed on the necessity of moving forward with the commitments of the second phase, including the commencement of work by the Palestinian technocratic committee following its formation, the deployment of an international stabilization force to monitor the ceasefire, Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the launch of early recovery and reconstruction efforts.

The European officials hailed Egypt’s leading role as a pillar of stability in the region, particularly its efforts in consolidating the ceasefire in Gaza and supporting diplomatic and consensus-based solutions.