The foreign ministers of Egypt and Saudi Arabia discussed efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and de-escalate tensions between Iran and Israel during a phone call on Saturday, Egypt's foreign ministry said. In a statement, the ministry said the call between Egypt's Badr Abdelatty and Saudi Arabia's Prince Faisal bin Farhan took place within the framework of ongoing coordination and the "fraternal and eternal relations" between the two countries. The call addressed the "catastrophic" situation in the Gaza Strip and developments in the Palestinian cause. Abdel-Aty briefed his counterpart on the "intensive contacts" Egypt is conducting with all parties to stop the fighting and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave. They also discussed a planned conference for the early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza, which Egypt intends to host with the United Nations and the Palestinian government once a ceasefire is reached. The two ministers also reviewed ongoing communications aimed at stabilising the ceasefire between Iran and Israel and resuming negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme, with the goal of reducing escalation and achieving calm. They also exchanged views on developments in Sudan and the Arab Mashreq region. The ministry's statement said the call reflected the "harmony in visions and positions" between the two countries and a shared desire to further develop bilateral relations and find political and diplomatic solutions to regional and global crises. The ministers affirmed the depth of their countries' strong bilateral, fraternal and historical ties, which they said are seeing significant development under the guidance of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Abdelatty and Prince Faisal agreed to continue consultation and coordination to achieve common interests and support regional security and stability, implementing the directives of their respective leaderships. The statement described the two nations as the "two wings of the Arab and Islamic nations."
