Preparations for this month's economic conference, boosting bilateral relations, the situation in Libya and attempts to rally the international community behind a draft UN Security Council resolution to lift the arms embargo on the Libyan government were among the aims of Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri's five-day tour. Cairo is keen to ensure the widest possible participation in the economic conference to be held in Sharm El-Sheikh from 13 to 15 March. During his overseas diplomatic mission, Shoukri was promised that China, Russia and Saudi Arabia will send high-level delegations. China — which was the fourth leg of Shoukri's tour — is sending a delegation headed by the Chinese trade minister, while Russia and Saudi Arabia confirmed their participation at the conference during Shukri's visits to Moscow and Paris. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the exchange of visits between Egyptian and Chinese leaders “greatly contributes to the development of relations between the two countries.” During President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi's visit to China in December a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement was signed with Chinese President Xi Jinping. One of the goals of Shukri's visit to China was to follow up on agreements already signed and to review the arrangements for Jinping's visit to Egypt, which is scheduled for April. During their meeting, Shoukri and Yi also discussed developments in Libya and Arab efforts at the Security Council to halt the chaos in the conflict-torn country. Egypt wants the international community to back a draft resolution at the UN Security Council lifting the arms embargo imposed on the Libyan government. Cairo argues that the move is a necessary first step to strengthen Libyan authorities in their conflict with extremist groups. Yi said China fully supports the proposal presented to the Arab League earlier this month seeking to establish a pan-Arab force to fight terrorism. Shoukri also met with the Chinese Communist Party's head of foreign relations, China's peace envoy to the Middle East and the vice president of the University of Beijing. Shoukri was part of the ministerial delegation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in talks on Palestine convened in Beijing and Moscow. In both cities he called for a more active role for the Quartet and the Security Council in resolving outstanding issues. Meeting with Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao, Shoukri conveyed Cairo's growing concern over Israeli attempts to judaise Jerusalem by confiscating Palestinian property and encircling the city with illegal settlements. Shoukri argued that Israeli policies are not only an attempt to irrevocably change the situation on the ground but provide fertile ground for the propagation of extremism. Yuanchao stressed China's commitment to the legitimate rights of the Palestinians and its support for a solution to the Palestinian problem based on a Palestinian state being established within the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. In Moscow the OIC delegation, which included Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki, Guinean Foreign Minister Lounceny Fall, Secretary General of the OIC Iyad Ameen Madani and special envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Agshin Mehdiyev, as well as Shukri, held two days of talks on Palestine with a Russian team headed by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The OIC delegation underlined that the continuation of Israeli policies judaising Jerusalem, including the desecration of Islamic and Christian holy sites, would have disastrous consequences. Lavrov said Moscow is fully engaged in attempts to kick-start the work of the Quartet and pledged that Russia will continue its longstanding attempts to build peace and stability in the region. The OIC delegation is part of the Ministerial Contact Group mandated by the OIC's Council of Foreign Ministers to promote a plan of action to support Palestinians and protect Al-Quds Al-Shareef. Shoukri and Lavrov also addressed bilateral issues and ways to rally international support for the UN resolution on Libya. In Paris, the second leg of his tour, Shoukri met with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, to discuss regional issues. The two officials reviewed preparations for Egypt's economic conference, as well as for the Arab summit scheduled to convene in Cairo later this month. Al-Faisal reiterated Saudi Arabia's commitment to ensuring the Sharm El-Sheikh economic conference is a success. They discussed the growing threat posed by the spread of extremist groups in Libya and ways to coordinate action to push for the lifting of the arms embargo on the Libyan government. The deteriorating situations in Yemen, Syria and Iraq also featured high in their agenda. In Tunisia, the first stop of the tour, Shoukri held talks with his Tunisian counterpart, Al-Tayeb Al-Bakoush. He took the opportunity afforded by his visit to thank the Tunisian government for its cooperation in allowing Egyptian workers in Libya to travel home via Tunisia. Thousands of Egyptian workers in Libya have left following the beheading of 21 Egyptian Copts last month by the Libyan affiliate of the islamic State (IS) group. Libya is a pressing concern in both Tunis and Cairo. The two capitals are keen to push for a wide-ranging UN resolution to address the myriad problems that have steadily engulfed their neighbour since the collapse of the Qadaffi regime.
