NEW YORK, September 23 (Reuters) – Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly addressed high-level UN General Assembly summits on Wednesday, warning that the two-state solution faces “unprecedented challenges” and demanding urgent reform of the UN Security Council to expand African representation.
Speaking on behalf of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at a summit on Palestine co-chaired by the United Kingdom, France, and Canada, Madbouly stated that regional peace remains impossible without a political settlement establishing an independent Palestinian state along June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Madbouly cited Israeli settlement expansion, land seizures, and violence in the West Bank as critical threats to peace, reiterating Cairo’s absolute rejection of Palestinian displacement or land annexation. He called for the full, simultaneous implementation of US President Donald Trump’s plan and UN Security Council Resolution 2803 to secure a ceasefire, facilitate aid access, and empower a national committee to administer Gaza.
At a separate peace breakfast hosted by Finnish President Alexander Stubb, the prime minister called for expanding permanent and non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council to give Africa fair representation and correct historical injustice. He urged a revitalisation of preventive diplomacy and an end to double standards regarding Palestinian rights.
The addresses followed Madbouly’s participation on Tuesday in a regional summit convened by Trump, alongside representatives from Gulf nations, Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. Discussions centered on advancing the second phase of Trump’s plan for Gaza to consolidate the ceasefire, scale up humanitarian aid, and begin early recovery and reconstruction.
On the sidelines of the assembly, Madbouly also held bilateral talks with Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to discuss economic coordination and foreign direct investment. Joined by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Madbouly stressed that the security of Kuwait and Gulf states is integral to Egypt’s national security.
The Egyptian premier outlined Cairo’s desire to attract more direct Kuwaiti investment and increase bilateral trade, while noting the interest of Egyptian firms in expanding their presence in the Kuwaiti market. Sheikh Sabah conveyed Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s appreciation for Sisi’s regional efforts and praised Egypt’s developmental progress despite ongoing regional challenges.
Madbouly also met with Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova to review economic ties, noting that bilateral trade reached $1.5bn in 2025. He congratulated Iotova on Bulgaria’s planned entry into the Eurozone in January 2026 and proposed launching direct Cairo-Sofia flights, while Iotova commended Egypt’s regional mediation role and welcomed joint energy cooperation.
