Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed regional de-escalation and measures to contain rapid military expansion in the Middle East during separate phone calls on Friday with the US special envoy for the Middle East and his Omani and Cypriot counterparts.
During his call with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday, July 17, Abdelatty welcomed progress towards a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, describing it as a constructive step to reduce regional tensions and enhance stability.
Abdelatty stressed the necessity of adhering to the US-Iran understanding and reaffirmed Egypt’s support for resolving the current crisis through dialogue and diplomatic means. Witkoff commended Cairo’s coordination with relevant parties to encourage dialogue and bridge differing viewpoints.
In a separate call with Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, the two ministers warned of the severe risks that accelerated escalation poses to regional security. They emphasised the need to avoid the region slipping into wider conflict, affirming that returning to negotiations and political solutions remains the optimal path for addressing current crises.
Abdelatty conveyed a similar message regarding regional de-escalation to Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos. The Egyptian minister warned that an expanding conflict would have direct repercussions on international navigation, global trade, and supply chains. Kombos expressed his country’s appreciation for Egypt’s efforts to achieve calm.
The discussion with Kombos also covered bilateral relations, which were elevated to a strategic partnership in April during a visit by the Egyptian president to Cyprus.
Abdelatty stressed the importance of accelerating the implementation of a memorandum of understanding regarding the employment of Egyptian workers in Cyprus. He also highlighted the tripartite cooperation mechanism between Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece, calling for the continued development of ties across the economic, trade, investment, and tourism sectors.
