Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed the war in Gaza and bilateral relations in separate phone calls with his Saudi and South African counterparts this week, his ministry said.
In a call on Wednesday with South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, Abdelatty discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, particularly in light of South Africa’s presidency of the G20, the ministry said in a statement.
Abdelatty conveyed greetings from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, and expressed Egypt’s pride in its historical ties with the country. He noted Egypt’s readiness to cooperate with South Africa on development projects, given the extensive experience of Egyptian companies.
On water security, Abdelatty stressed the need to adhere to international law regarding shared water resources and rejected “unilateral actions” in the eastern Nile Basin.
The two ministers also discussed regional and international political and security developments, including the situation in Gaza and efforts to reach a ceasefire, as well as developments in Libya, Sudan, Somalia, and the Horn of Africa.
In a separate call on Tuesday evening, Abdelatty and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farah discussed the “catastrophic” situation in the Gaza Strip.
The two ministers affirmed their “joint and categorical rejection” of the Israeli cabinet’s decision to develop a plan to occupy the Gaza Strip and expand its aggression, the Egyptian statement said. They described the plan as an attempt to “entrench the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, continue the war of extermination against the unarmed Palestinian people, and undermine their right to self-determination.”
Abdelatty briefed his Saudi counterpart on Egypt’s ongoing efforts with Qatar and the United States to reach a deal that would secure the release of hostages and a number of Palestinian prisoners, and ensure the full and unconditional delivery of aid.
The two ministers agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire, the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian and medical aid, and an immediate end to the “policy of starvation and systematic killing.” They also stressed the need to protect civilians and enable the Palestinian people to establish their independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The call also covered the overall regional situation, with the two ministers exchanging views on how to deal with the current challenges and crises in Sudan, Syria, and Lebanon.
