Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, received a phone call on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, from the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong.
The Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates, Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, stated in a press statement that Minister Wong was keen at the beginning of the call to congratulate Minister Abdelatty on assuming his new position. She expressed her anticipation for continued work and coordination with Egypt on regional and international issues of mutual interest in the coming period. For his part, Minister Abdelatty emphasized Egypt’s commitment to developing relations with Australia in various fields and to enhancing consultation and coordination between the two countries in international forums.
The Spokesperson added that the call covered various aspects of bilateral relations between the two countries, where Dr. Abdelatty welcomed the fourth round of political consultat
ions at the level of Deputy Foreign Ministers, which took place on June 26, 2024, in Cairo. He highlighted Egypt’s significant interest in enhancing economic, trade, and investment relations with Australia, including sectors such as mining, irrigation, and engineering consultancy. He also noted that Egypt is looking forward to receiving more investments in renewable energy and green hydrogen.
The Spokesperson added that the two ministers discussed several regional issues, with a primary focus on the ongoing war in Gaza. In this regard, Minister Wong praised Egypt’s significant role since the outbreak of the crisis and its diligent efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid. For his part, Dr. Abdelatty outlined Egypt’s intensive efforts in collaboration with the American and Qatari sides to achieve an immediate end to the war and alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people. He also emphasized that the continuation of the Gaza Strip crisis is the mai
n reason for escalating tensions and confrontations in the region.
The Foreign Minister also affirmed Egypt’s stance against Israeli escalation policies, including political assassinations and violations of state sovereignty, noting that such policies would not benefit any party and would only exacerbate the conflict to a point where containing the crisis becomes difficult. He reviewed the outcomes of Egypt’s communications with various parties aimed at preventing the expansion of the conflict in the region and achieving de-escalation and restraint.
On the other hand, Ambassador Abu Zeid indicated that the call also addressed the developments in Sudan and the difficult humanitarian situation facing the Sudanese people. The Foreign Minister reviewed Egypt’s overall efforts in this context, emphasizing that Egypt is sparing no effort to end the ongoing war in Sudan and to build consensus through a Sudanese-Sudanese national dialogue based on a purely Sudanese vision. He expressed hope that current efforts wil
l lead to a ceasefire, save Sudanese lives, and put an end to the humanitarian crisis that the Sudanese people have been enduring over the past months.
At the end of the call, both sides agreed to continue their consultation and work to enhance Egyptian-Australian relations across all fields. They also agreed to continue joint coordination on regional and international issues of mutual interest, as well as within international forums. Additionally, they agreed to maintain mutual support for each other’s nominations in various international organizations and bodies, for the benefit of both countries.
Source: State Information Service Egypt