Sisi Stresses Need to Consolidate Gaza Ceasefire, Implement Second Phase

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stressed the importance of consolidating the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and fully implementing its second phase, during a meeting on Tuesday with Sergey Naryshkin, Director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service.

The meeting was attended by Major General Hassan Rashad, Head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service. According to presidential spokesman Mohamed El-Shenawy, President el-Sisi asked Naryshkin at the outset of the talks to convey his greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing appreciation for the positive momentum in Egyptian–Russian relations.

El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s keenness to continue strengthening bilateral ties across various fields and to intensify political and security consultations in a manner that serves the interests of both peoples and contributes to regional and international peace and stability.

For his part, Naryshkin conveyed President Putin’s greetings and appreciation to President el-Sisi, underlining the strategic nature of relations between Cairo and Moscow and Russia’s commitment to further developing cooperation, including in trade and investment. He also highlighted Russia’s pride in its partnership with Egypt on the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant project.

The talks addressed a range of regional and international issues of mutual concern. Naryshkin listened to President el-Sisi’s assessment of developments in the Middle East and Egypt’s ongoing efforts to preserve regional stability. In this context, el-Sisi underscored the central importance of firmly maintaining the Gaza ceasefire and moving forward with the second phase of the agreement—particularly ensuring the entry of humanitarian aid, and swiftly launching early recovery and reconstruction efforts in the enclave.

The Russian official expressed his country’s deep appreciation for Egypt’s role and President el-Sisi’s efforts to halt the war in Gaza, reject the displacement of its population, and facilitate the delivery of much-needed humanitarian assistance.