Egypt's FM, EU Foreign Policy Chief Discuss Bilateral Ties, Regional De-escalation

Badr Abdelatty, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptian Expatriates, held a phone call on Friday with Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The call reviewed Egyptian–European relations and ways to reduce military escalation in the region.

Abdelatty discussed with the European official the comprehensive strategic partnership between Egypt and the European Union and ways to strengthen cooperation.

He praised the progress witnessed in relations between the two sides at all levels, particularly since the first Egyptian-European Summit last October, stressed the importance of continuing efforts to strengthen economic, investment, and trade cooperation with the European Union across various sectors.

Abdelatty also highlighted the importance of quickly transferring the second tranche of the overall support package provided to Egypt to support the Egyptian budget to deal with the severe repercussions of the current military escalation on the economic conditions in the region and the world as a result of rising energy and food prices and rising shipping and marine insurance costs, and the negative repercussions of this on the Egyptian economy.

The call also addressed regional developments in light of the dangerous military escalation in the region and the widening scope of the conflict, which has spread to several countries in the region.

The two officials agreed on the urgent need for joint action to end the war as quickly as possible.

They stressed the necessity of concerted regional and international efforts to develop specific ideas and a practical plan to end the war swiftly, thus preventing its further expansion.

The officials underscored the critical importance of continued coordination between Egypt and the European Union to de-escalate tensions and advance the diplomatic and political solutions.

Both sides agreed to condemn the attacks on brotherly Arab states and the importance of halting these attacks and ending the ongoing war in the region.

They also agreed on the need to continue coordination and consultation within the framework of the close relations existing between Egypt and the European Union, and to join forces to reduce escalation in the region and work towards a swift end to the war, resorting to the diplomatic track as the only way to spare the region the risks of sliding into further instability and to maintain regional and international peace and security.