Egypt's Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, began a visit to Washington, D.C., with a series of meetings with members of Congress on Thursday. The Egyptian Foreign Minister met separately with Senator Ben Cardin, the Democratic Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Representative Katherine Clark, the Democratic Whip of the House of Representatives; and Senator Susan Collins, the Republican Leader of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The meetings covered a range of bilateral issues, including the Egyptian-American strategic partnership, economic cooperation, and regional crises, according to Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the official spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Abdelatty highlighted the longstanding relationship between the two countries, which he described as a "unique" strategic partnership that yields mutual benefits. He also announced the launch of a new round of strategic dialogue between Egypt and the United States in Cairo. On the economic front, Egypt's Foreign Minister stressed the importance of increased American investment in Egypt and the ongoing coordination with the American Chamber of Commerce to host the "Future of Egypt Economic Forum" in Cairo next year. This event is intended to significantly boost trade and investment between the two countries. Abdelatty also discussed Egypt's efforts to improve its human rights system, noting the government's issuance of the National Human Rights Strategy and the review of legislation related to the Criminal Procedures Law. He highlighted achievements in promoting women's rights and religious freedoms. The meetings also touched upon regional crises, such as the ongoing instability in countries bordering Egypt and the recent Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. Abdelatty stressed Egypt's opposition to "any form of displacement of Palestinians or the liquidation of the Palestinian cause," and called for Israel's withdrawal from the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing and the "Philadelphi" corridor to allow for the resumption of humanitarian aid. Egypt's Foreign Minister also stressed the need to prevent the conflict from escalating in the region due to Israeli practices and policies in the occupied Palestinian territories, adding that Egypt has been working intensively to urge restraint and de-escalation. Regarding the situation in Sudan, Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's support for the institutions of the Sudanese state as the only path to restoring stability and security in the country. He highlighted the need for intensified humanitarian support for Sudan and the fulfilment of international partners' commitments. The meetings also addressed the situation in Libya and maritime security in the Red Sea.
