New alamein city: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty announced the launch of a political consultation mechanism between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Egypt and Qatar. This announcement came during a joint press conference held by the Foreign Minister with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
According to State Information Service Egypt, at the start of the press conference, Abdelatty welcomed his Qatari counterpart and the accompanying delegation currently visiting Egypt. He highlighted the strong cooperation between the two countries and noted that the Qatari official had a prior meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli as part of ongoing cordial meetings between both sides.
Abdelatty stated that he co-chaired with the Qatari Foreign Minister the sixth session of the Egyptian-Qatari Higher Committee. This session is critical, coming at a time when bilateral relations are witnessing significant progress, especially after President Sisi's visit to Doha last April. He emphasized that both sides are working to implement the directives of the two countries' leaderships to elevate their relations.
The visit of the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs reflects the strength of the distinguished relations between the leaderships and peoples of the two countries. The committee's proceedings included signing several agreements, such as an agreement on cooperation in social insurance, a memorandum of understanding in the agricultural sector, and the launch of a political consultation mechanism between the two foreign ministries.
Abdelatty explained that today's discussions focused on enhancing bilateral relations, noting a 54% increase in trade exchange compared to last year. He highlighted Qatar's commitment to investing $7.5 billion in Egypt, with specific projects to be announced soon. These investments will focus on sectors such as agriculture, food security, real estate, tourism, transport, logistics, industrial localization, and renewable energy.
The talks also covered regional and international issues, particularly the Palestinian cause. Abdelatty described the ongoing efforts to halt the bloodshed in Gaza and secure a 60-day ceasefire that would allow negotiations to end the war, release hostages and prisoners, and ensure humanitarian access. These efforts aim to counter the famine imposed on Gaza by restricting humanitarian aid, which is considered an unprecedented form of collective punishment.
Abdelatty briefed his Qatari counterpart on Egypt's plans to host an early recovery and reconstruction conference for Gaza, with Qatar as a key partner. The conference will convene after a ceasefire is reached to promote a political solution to the conflict, leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The ministers also discussed developments in Sudan, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, and the Iranian nuclear file.