Paris: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty commended during a meeting in the French capital Paris Saturday 4/10/2025 with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-No«l Barrot France’s support of Khaled El-Enany, Egypt’s candidate for the position of UNESCO Director-General as the country has a distinguished cultural stature and the high qualifications of the Egyptian candidate.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the French Foreign Minister reaffirmed his country’s full support for Egypt’s nomination and expressed his eagerness to congratulate Egypt on its victory in the UNESCO election, scheduled for Monday.
Abdelatty praised the momentum in the distinguished relations between Egypt and France across various fields. He stressed the importance of enhancing cooperation across political, economic, and cultural sectors for the mutual benefit of both friendly nations.
He welcomed the development of bilateral relations in the economic and investment fields and praised the vital role French companies play in supporting Egypt’s comprehensive modernization efforts. Abdelatty emphasized the desire to deepen cultural cooperation between the two countries, highlighting its historical significance in Egyptian-French relations.
The two ministers also discussed key regional issues, most notably the Palestinian cause. Abdelatty praised France’s principled stance in recognizing the State of Palestine, calling it a response to the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for self-determination and the establishment of their independent state.
He also briefed his French counterpart on Egypt’s intensive efforts to achieve a ceasefire and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe that has reached famine levels. He outlined Egypt’s preparations to host an international conference on early recovery and reconstruction immediately after a ceasefire is achieved, expressing hope for active participation from France and EU countries in the conference.
In addition, the Foreign Minister reaffirmed Egypt’s unwavering commitment to the unity, security, and stability of Sudan, emphasizing the importance of preserving and supporting Sudanese national institutions. Regarding developments in the Iranian nuclear file, Abdelatty stressed the need to continue diplomatic efforts, noting Egypt’s role in facilitating the agreement, signed in Cairo between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
He emphasized the importance of giving diplomacy a chance to rebuild trust and create a supportive environment for regional security and stability, stressing the need to de-escalate tensions and prepare the ground for the resumption of negotiations.