Exclusive to UMS: Foreign Minister addresses Egypt’s foreign policy amid ongoing regional tensions

CAIRO – 18 October 2024: In an exclusive interview, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration, and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty spoke with Ahmed El-Tahry, Head of the News Sector at UMS, about Egypt's role in regional diplomacy and foreign policy amid the ongoing regional tensions and Israeli non-stop war on the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Lebanon. The interview also addressed Egypt’s stance towards the controversial Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and Cairo’s relations with the Nile Basin Countries.

Starting with Egypt’s foreign policy, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that Egypt is one of the very few countries, if not the only one in the region, that maintains relations and contacts with all regional and international parties and actors. These connections facilitate an effective foreign policy that ultimately serves the interests of security and stability in the region.

Egypt has consistently been the only country to issue repeated warnings about the potential expansion and escalation of conflict in the region, Abdelatty added.

The Foreign Minister continued that Egypt has successfully achieved the principle of strategic balance. This principle is fundamental to Egyptian foreign policy, particularly in avoiding alignment with any international blocs and resisting the current climate of global polarization, he said.

“Egypt remains committed to openness to all, without prior ideological judgments, ensuring that the primary driver of its foreign policy is the national interest,” Abdelatty said.

He said that Egypt maintains strong relations with Oman, Jordan and Kuwait, where there is a large Egyptian community. Kuwaiti companies are eager to invest in Egypt, he said, noting that it is expected to see significant investments flowing into the Egyptian market in priority sectors for Kuwaiti businesses in the near future.

Egypt’s role in supporting the Palestinian cause and Lebanon

In the interview, Abdelatty clarified that from the outset of the events on October 7, Egypt has been at the forefront, actively engaging and hosting an international meeting in Cairo. This meeting, attended by numerous countries, aimed primarily at achieving an immediate ceasefire and halting the systematic killing of civilians.

The Foreign Minister added that Egypt affirms, drawing from past lessons, that the arrogance of power cannot secure peace for Israel. “History shows that it has not achieved, and will not achieve, lasting security and stability. True peace for the Israeli people and the state can only be realized by acknowledging and fulfilling the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” he said.

Abdelatty continued that the mediators of Egypt and Qatar and the US were very close to reaching an agreement that would ensure the release of all hostages, establish a ceasefire and allow full, unconditional access for humanitarian and medical aid to the Gaza Strip. Unfortunately, this effort has been hindered by a lack of political will from one of the parties, specifically the Israeli side.

As for the crisis of Lebanon amid the Israeli military escalation against the Lebanese people, Abdelatty said that the serious and existential challenges facing Lebanon necessitate the election of a president to effectively address these issues. Regarding the presidential vacancy, Egypt maintains a clear stance that it is a purely Lebanese matter, and the Lebanese people must agree on a candidate. “Whatever choice the Lebanese make, we will support,” the Foreign Minister said.

He noted that the internal displacement in Lebanon is a catastrophe, with approximately one and a half million Lebanese displaced from their villages in the south to various areas within the country.

Egypt’s relations with Iran

Abdelatty said that Iran is an important regional country, and Egypt maintains relations with all nations. He continued that there has been a request from the Iranian side for its foreign minister to visit Egypt and meet with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. “This reflects Egypt’s commitment to reducing tensions and preventing the region from descending into a comprehensive regional war,” he said, highlighting Egypt’s dedication to facilitating the meeting.

“I held extensive consultations and meetings with the Iranian Minister [Abbas Araghchi] to prevent the region from being drawn into an open conflict that would lead to no winners and have devastating consequences. We also discussed various issues, including the critical importance of a ceasefire in Gaza and the need to halt the aggression against Lebanon,” Abdelatty said.

He further noted that he discussed with the Iranian counterpart, paid Egypt a one-day official visit on October 17, 2024, the heightened tension in the Red Sea region and the importance of maintaining freedom of international navigation. Egypt is the country most affected by this escalation, as evidenced by the decline in revenues from the Suez Canal. We used to see over 72 ships crossing daily from both the north and south, but that number has now dropped to just 27.

Egypt’s support for stability in Horn Africa

Commenting on President Sisi’s visit to Eritrea, Egyptian FM says that the visit is indeed historic, marking the first visit by an Egyptian president to the country since its independence in 1993.

On October 11, President Sisi visited Asmara, where he met with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to support the national Somali Army. Tensions have escalated in the Horn of Africa due to an agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland, a self-declared state not recognized by Egypt, granting Addis Ababa access to a port in January. Mohamud has rejected the deal, asserting that "no one has the power to give away a piece of Somalia."

The Egyptian Foreign Minister in the interview affirmed that there was an extensive discussion between Presidents of Egypt and Eritrea regarding stability in the Horn of Africa and the broader African continent, focusing on achieving security in the region.

He continued that Egypt and Eritrea emphasized the importance of supporting Somalia in preserving its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Additionally, the two leaders addressed the situation in Sudan, highlighting the need for a ceasefire and an end to the destructive conflict affecting the Sudanese people.

Abdelatty noted that the African Peace and Security Council welcomes Egypt's participation in the new mission being sent to Somalia, which will replace the current mission.

Egypt has right to defend its water interests

Regarding the Egyptian-Sudanese-Ethiopian conflict over the controversial of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Abdelatty said that the issue of harm or infringement on Egypt’s Nile water share is unacceptable under any circumstances.

“We have previously stated that Egypt reserves the right to defend its water interests as guaranteed by international law and the United Nations Charter, should any harm occur. The matter is therefore entirely clear,” the Minister said.

He noted that Egypt’s annual share of the Nile Water is not enough for us, it barely covers 60% of our needs.

Abdelatty continued that Egypt has no issues with any of the Nile Basin countries except for Ethiopia, which refuses to engage in a binding legal agreement that ensures the operation and filling of the Ethiopian dam. “This unilateral approach by Ethiopia is completely unacceptable,” he said.

The claim that Ethiopia has full sovereignty over the Blue Nile is entirely unacceptable and directly contradicts international law, Abdelatty said.

Ethiopia started building the GERD in May 2011, immediately following the Egyptian 25 January Revolution. Cairo expressed its concerns over affecting its 55.5 billion cubic meters of the Nile water share. Despite the series of tripartite talks between the three countries since then, no agreement has been reached regarding the filling and the operation of the dam, and the talks were suspended after Ethiopia had taken unilateral measures to fill the dam’s reservoir with the Nile water and operate it without consultation with Egypt and Sudan.