Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Director of the Public Diplomacy Department, Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, stated that Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry received a phone call on Tuesday 30/1/2024, from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, Winston Peters.
The Spokesperson indicated that the call comes within the framework of the two Foreign Ministers’ keenness to discuss means to enhance various mechanisms of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, and in light of this year’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Egypt – New Zealand relations, whereby the two Ministers affirmed the importance of seizing the available opportunities to advance the path of bilateral relations at the political and economic levels towards broader horizons, and looking forward to the upcoming round of political consultations in Cairo yielding tangible outcomes that would build on both sides’ efforts aimed at furthering the overall frameworks of bilateral cooperation.
Ambass
ador Abu Zeid added that the two Foreign Ministers discussed in detail the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, and the paths of action at the political and diplomatic levels in order to implement in full the resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly, as well as the measures imposed by the International Court of Justice, whereby Minister Shoukry reviewed the Egyptian actions and contacts carried out towards the inevitability of achieving a ceasefire, enforcing de-escalation and exchanging detainees, so as to allow for the delivery of urgent humanitarian and relief aid in an adequate manner, thus to meet the needs of the residents of the Strip.
In this context, Minister Shoukry emphasized the important role played by UNRWA in providing vital services to Palestinian refugees, in addition to its essential role in providing shelter and aid to the residents of Gaza, asserting the necessity for international donors, including New Zealand, to continue providing the necessary support to UNRWA, a
nd to refrain from adopting decisions suspending its financing in the midst of the exacerbating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which may appear as collective punishment against all the Agency’s employees as well as the entire Palestinian people, and await the results of the internal investigation process undertaken by UNRWA and its agencies.
Ambassador Abu Zeid added that the two Ministers’ discussions also tackled the tense regional situation against the backdrop of the continuing crisis in Gaza, including threats to navigation security in the Red Sea, whereby Minister Shoukry stressed that the Egyptian side continues to push for efforts aimed at de-escalation and containing the dangers of expanding the scope of conflict in the region, in preservation of the capabilities of the peoples of the region and in protection of international peace and security.
Source: State Information Service Egypt