Negev summit aimed at addressing challenges in region, promoting peace: Egypt’s FM Shoukry

CAIRO – 28 March 2022:  Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that the six-part meeting in Israel [Negev summit] aimed at addressing challenges in the region, and to promote peace.

He added in a joint press conference Monday, with counterparts of UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Israel and US that the participants at the summit stressed the importance of the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis and to face all challenges in the Middle East region.

Shoukry affirmed Egypt’s supporting stance for the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister noted to Egypt’s rejection to all kinds of violence, adding that ‘all members of the international and Arab communities reject violence.’

He added that President Abdel Fattah al Sisi is working to strengthen cooperation, peace and security in the region and to resist any negative effects in order to protect regional security.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, expressed his happiness to participate in the Negev summit. He noted that despite all what was said about how difficult and impossible it was for such a summit to take place, it became true and possible.

“We are here for peace” Blinken said, adding that the FMs of the Negev summit discussed ways of enhancing cooperation and to face violence and confront terrorism.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry participated, Sunday in a dinner banquet hosted by Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid with, along with other four foreign ministers.

According to spokesman for the Foreign Minister Ahmed Hafez, Shoukry arrived in Israel, Sunday to participate in the six-way meeting, grouping the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Morocco and Bahrain along with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.

During the visit, Shoukry met with his Israeli counterpart.

Hafez posted a photo of Shoukry’s meeting with Lapid, saying: “Part of Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry's meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, as part of Shoukry's current visit to participate in the six-party meeting hosted by Israel.”