WASHINGTON, Feb 11 (MENA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty emphasized during a meeting he had Tuesday in Washington with Dr. Victoria Coates, the vice president of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at the Heritage Foundation, the pivotal role that Egypt plays in supporting security and stability in the Middle East region.

The top Egyptian diplomat underlined the importance of Egypt’s engagement with American think tanks and research centers, and expressed a desire to enhance cooperation between Egyptian and American research institutions. He also reaffirmed the special nature of the strategic relations between Egypt and the United States.

The meeting included an extensive discussion on the situation in the Middle East region, including the latest developments in Gaza, Syria, Libya and Sudan, as well as the updates regarding the Ethiopian dam issue.

The minister explained Egypt's stance on these developments, with particular focus on the Palestinian issue and Egypt's ongoing efforts to guarantee the implementation of Gaza ceasefire agreement and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to the war-devastated strip, besides speeding up its early recovery and reconstruction processes.

He also highlighted Egypt's position on the developments in Sudan and the need for supporting Sudanese state institutions and ceasefire talks, underlining the importance of respecting the country’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

The meeting included an exchange of views and assessments regarding the unfolding developments in Syria, with Abdelatty stressing the need to respect the Arab country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. He also emphasized the importance of initiating a political process that does not exclude any segment of the Syrian society, so as to make Syria a source of stability in the region.

The foreign minister stressed that water security will always remain a top priority for Egypt's national security, reiterating the need to reach a legal and binding agreement on the operation of the Ethiopian dam in a way that does not infringe on the rights of the Nile River’s downstream countries and achieves the interests of all parties.

Regarding developments in Libya, he emphasized the importance of resolving its crisis as soon as possible and forming a unified government to pave the way for holding presidential and parliamentary elections. He also stressed the need to end all foreign presence in Libya to preserve its unity and sovereignty.
(MENA)
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