LJUBLJANA/CAIRO, Feb 6 (MENA) – Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Expatriates Badr Abdelatty stated Friday that any viable path to Middle East peace requires connecting immediate crisis management in Gaza to a wider political solution for the Palestinian issue. He made these comments at a panel discussion on “expanding horizons of peace in the Middle East” during the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia.
Abdelatty warned that treating the Gaza Strip in isolation from the general context of the conflict is a “strategic mistake,” asserting that sustainable peace can only be achieved by “addressing the root causes of the conflict.”
The minister applauded Slovenia’s support for Palestinian rights and its recognition of the State of Palestine.
As regards the situation on the ground in Gaza, the minister highlighted several Egyptian priorities, topped by the need to build on the current ceasefire to ensure effective humanitarian flow and restore basic services and minimum living standards to pave the way for early recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Abdelatty also affirmed Egypt’s full support for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) as a transitional framework to meet the basic needs of Gaza’s population, leading to the Palestinian Authority resuming full responsibilities in the Palestinian Strip.
He also stressed Cairo’s support for the formation and deployment of an international stabilization force to monitor the ceasefire.
Abdelatty condemned the escalation of settler violence in the West Bank, warning about the consequences of Israeli practices aimed at confiscating more Palestinian land and expanding Israeli settlements. He described these practices as a direct threat to the two-state solution.
As for regional developments involving Iran, the top diplomat stressed the vital importance of de-escalation, calling for prioritizing diplomatic solutions and dialogue to prevent the region from sliding into broader confrontations and to maintain regional stability.
The panel featured a great host of prominent regional and international figures, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan Ayman Safadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, as well as former president of Slovenia Danilo Türk. (MENA)
