Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates, Badr Abdelatty, participated on Friday, February 6, in a high-level panel discussion titled “Expanding the Horizons of Peace in the Middle East,” organized by the Bled Strategic Forum, on the sidelines of the Forum’s expanded meeting held in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana.
The panel brought together a group of senior regional and international officials, including Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia; Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan; and Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The discussion was moderated by Peter Grk, Secretary General of the Bled Strategic Forum, while the opening remarks were delivered by Danilo Türk, former President of the Republic of Slovenia.
During his intervention, Minister Abdelatty commended Slovenia’s principled stance in support of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights, noting that Slovenia’s recognition of the State of Palestine and its consistent positions in line with the United Nations Charter reflect a clear commitment to a values-based diplomatic approach grounded in respect for international law.
Addressing the situation in the Gaza Strip, Abdelatty stressed that the ceasefire represents a necessary first step that must be built upon to achieve sustainable de-escalation, ensure the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance, and launch early recovery and reconstruction efforts. He underscored that early recovery is a critical pillar for restoring a minimum level of normalcy for civilians, rehabilitating essential services, and creating the conditions required for comprehensive and sustainable reconstruction.
The Egyptian foreign minister reaffirmed Egypt’s full support for the work of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, describing it as a transitional framework aimed at managing daily affairs and meeting the basic needs of the population, paving the way for the Palestinian Authority to resume its full responsibilities in the Strip. He also reiterated Egypt’s support for the formation and deployment of an international stabilization force to monitor the ceasefire.
Turning to developments in the West Bank, Abdelatty strongly condemned the escalating violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, warning of the grave risks posed by ongoing land confiscation and settlement expansion policies, which he described as a direct threat to the two-state solution and to the prospects for lasting peace.
The minister also addressed regional developments related to Iran, emphasizing the importance of de-escalation and preventing a further widening of the conflict. He highlighted the need to prioritize diplomatic solutions and dialogue to address contentious issues, in order to safeguard regional security and stability and avert a slide into broader confrontation.
Concluding his remarks, Abdelatty stressed that any serious approach to achieving peace must link the management of the current crisis in Gaza with a broader political horizon for the Palestinian cause. He warned that treating Gaza in isolation from the overall context of the conflict constitutes a strategic miscalculation, underscoring that sustainable peace can only be achieved by addressing the root causes of the conflict.
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