Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry denounced the double standards adopted by some Western countries toward the crisis in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and the great suffering of Gazans.
He warned of the impact of the war on the civilian population, including schools students and reporters and the severe damage it has caused to the civilian infrastructure, including Islamic and Christian places of worship.
Shoukry’s remarks came at a meeting he had on Thursday 22/2/2024 with Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay on the sidelines of his participation in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which is hosted by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro city.
Spokesman for the Foreign Ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid said that talks between the two sides took up ways of fostering cooperation between Egypt and the UN organization.
The foreign minister commended the existing bilateral cooperation and underscored the importance of the organization’s role in preserving world heritage.
He stressed the great interest of the Egyptian side in main
taining constant coordination with UNESCO in culture-related issues.
Azoulay thanked Egypt for its painstaking efforts to support the organization’s executive council and appreciated the country’s positive role in UNESCO.
She said UNESCO will outline an action plan to back Gaza, adding she is looking forward to obtaining Egypt’s support for implementing it.
The spokesman said both sides exchanged viewpoints regarding the consequences of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
Shoukry confirmed Egypt will spare no effort to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.
The two sides agreed on the need of continuing coordination and consultation concerning issues of mutual interest.
Source: State Information Service Egypt