CAIRO, Feb 18 (MENA) - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty underlined on Tuesday the necessity of finding a political horizon for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, stressing that the two-state solution remains the only track to achieve peace in the region.

This came during a phone call Abdelatty received from Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard.

Both ministers reviewed over phone ways of developing bilateral relations and the latest developments in the Middle East region.

Abdelatty welcomed the convocation of the upcoming round of political consultations between the two countries. He said he is looking forward to maintaining work to upgrade joint ties between the two countries, with special emphasis on economic and trade spheres along with capitalizing on investment chances in different sectors in Egypt.

He underscored the importance of encouraging cooperation between the private sector in the two countries. He highlighted the greater attention the Egyptian government is paying to empower the private sector and support foreign companies operating in Egypt.

Abdelatty said he is looking forward to Sweden's support of the Egyptian interests in the European Union (EU), including the second tranche of the European Union's €4 billion support package.

The foreign minister reviewed during the contact the Egyptian efforts to cement the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and implement its three phases.

He underlined the necessity of intensifying the entry of humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip amid deteriorating living conditions in the coastal enclave.

Egypt is working on outlining a comprehensive and multi-phase vision of early recovery and reconstruction stage in Gaza.

He said he is seeking the support of the international community and EU countries of the Egyptian efforts.

The Swedish foreign minister hailed Egypt's pivotal role in reaching the Gaza ceasefire. She also praised the country's tireless efforts to crystalize a comprehensive visualization for early recovery and reconstruction.

The contact also dealt with the situation in Lebanon and Syria as the two sides underlined the importance of ending all hostilities and getting the Israeli army out of South Lebanon. They also underlined the need to respect the unity and integrity of Syrian territories. (MENA)
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