Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty held bilateral consultations with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Council of Foreign Ministers in Jeddah on Monday. The talks covered bilateral relations and regional developments of mutual concern. The two ministers expressed satisfaction with the positive momentum in relations, especially as Egypt and Turkey mark 100 years of diplomatic ties. They stressed the importance of building on the first meeting of the High-Level Strategic Council held in Istanbul in September 2024 and Fidan's visit to El Alamein earlier this month. They agreed to advance mechanisms of cooperation, including preparations for the first meeting of the Joint Planning Group. They also looked forward to convening the second session of the High-Level Strategic Council, co-chaired by the Egyptian and Turkish presidents. Abdel-Aty called for boosting Turkish investment in Egypt and reaffirmed the joint target of raising trade volume to 15 billion dollars within five years, citing promising opportunities in the Egyptian market and related incentives. On the Palestinian issue, the ministers condemned Israel's ongoing war on Gaza and called for urgent action to halt the aggression. They denounced policies of starvation and systematic killing of civilians, saying they constitute flagrant violations of international and humanitarian law. They also strongly condemned Israel's settlement expansion in the West Bank and its continued violations in the occupied territories. Abdel-Aty reviewed Egypt's efforts with Qatar to secure a ceasefire, stressing the need for intensified pressure on Israel to accept the proposed deal after Hamas had approved it. He underscored the importance of unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, noting Egypt had provided 70 per cent of the aid that entered Gaza. He said over 5,000 trucks carrying relief and medical supplies remain stuck at the border due to Israeli restrictions. The ministers also exchanged views on regional issues including Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan and the Horn of Africa. Abdel-Aty underlined Egypt's support for the unity and territorial integrity of these states and stressed the need for joint coordination to promote political solutions, development, security and stability. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
