Dr. Badr Abdel-Atty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptians Abroad, met with Jenny Chapman, UK Minister of State for International Development and Africa.
The meeting addressed ways to enhance cooperation in Africa as they exchanged views on a number of regional issues of common interest.
The Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of building upon the growing momentum in bilateral relations between the two countries and exploring ways to expand them across various political, economic, and trade sectors. He also highlighted the need to increase British investments in Egypt in the coming years, specially amid the improved investment climate resulting from the economic and structural reforms implemented in recent years.
Abdel-Atty further emphasized Egypt's approach to cooperation with African nations, focusing on priority projects, sharing successful national development experiences, especially in infrastructure, and strengthening public-private partnerships. He cited the successful implementation of the Julius Nyerere Dam in Tanzania as a model for Egyptian-African development cooperation, pointing out to the openness of the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development and the African Union bodies hosted by Egypt to enhance trilateral cooperation mechanisms with international partners within the continent.
Regarding the situation in Sudan, Abdel-Atty briefed the British Minister on the latest developments and Egypt's tireless efforts within the framework of the Quartet Mechanism. He stressed the importance of quickly reaching a humanitarian truce as a prelude to a comprehensive ceasefire and launching a comprehensive, purely Sudanese-owned political process. He emphasized the priority of establishing safe humanitarian corridors and ensuring unhindered access for aid, reiterating Egypt's firm position in support of Sudan's unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the preservation of its national institutions.
The Minister also stressed the need to support the unity and sovereignty of Somalia and to expedite the provision of necessary funding for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to ensure it can fulfill its mandate in combating terrorism and supporting security and stability. He reviewed the ongoing arrangements for the deployment of Egyptian forces within the mission, as part of efforts to support stability in Somalia and the Horn of Africa. The Minister also affirmed Egypt's full support for efforts to eradicate terrorism and extremism in West Africa and the Sahel region, and its readiness to continue actively engaging in trilateral cooperation with international partners, which will enhance regional security and stability and serve the goals of sustainable development in the continent.
For her part, the Minister expressed her appreciation for Egypt's growing role in supporting development and stability efforts in Africa, praising the Egyptian approach based on combining security and development and strengthening sustainable economic partnerships. She also affirmed the United Kingdom's interest in continuing coordination with Egypt on regional issues, particularly in Sudan, Somalia, and the Sahel region, expressing her aspiration to enhance trilateral cooperation to support stability, achieve development, and build capacity in Africa.
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