KUWAIT CITY, Feb 8 (MENA) - Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that Palestinians must not be forced out of Gaza during the enclave's early recovery and reconstruction, according to the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA.

This came during a phone call made by the Egyptian minister with his Portuguese counterpart
Paulo Rangel late Friday, during which they discussed the latest regional developments and
means of promoting bilateral relations, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

Abelatty underlined during the phone conversation that the Palestinian people should be allowed
to restore their legitimate rights, mainly their self-determination and an independent Palestinian
state with Jerusalem as its capital on the pre-June 1967 border as per relevant international
terms of reference.

In this context, he restated that his country gives top priority to shoring up the Gaza ceasefire
deal and implementing its three phases as well as addressing the catastrophic humanitarian
situation in the territory.

The Egyptian foreign minister also commended Portugal's support for Egyptian interests within
the European Union (EU), particularly regarding the European financial package offered to Egypt,
hoping that Portugal would keep helping Egypt obtain the second tranche worth four billion euros. (MENA)
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