Sisi, Xi Jinping highlight urgency of Middle East de-escalation to avoid regional war

CAIRO – 24 October 2024: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Chinese President Xi Jinping reviewed regional and international developments, particularly the situation in the Middle East, emphasizing the importance of immediate action to ensure de-escalation.

During their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia on Wednesday, Sisi and Xi underlined the necessity to prevent the expansion of conflict to avoid a regional war that could have negative repercussions for all parties involved.

Both leaders called for a permanent and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause through the launch of a political process that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions. They viewed this solution as optimal to ensure sustainable security in the region.

EGYPTIAN-CHINESE TIES

During the meeting, Sisi said Egypt looks forward to continuing fruitful collaboration with China in manufacturing and technology transfer.

Sisi commended China's participation in many major economic projects in Egypt, especially in infrastructure, transportation, and railways.

The two leaders praised the noticeable progress and positive milestones in the Egyptian-Chinese relations since the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between both countries in 2014.

They reaffirmed their commitment to build on the momentum generated by Sisi’s state visit to China in May 2024.

Sisi and Xi discussed the overall bilateral relations and ways to enhance them across various fields, as well as means to strengthen coordination between the two countries within multilateral frameworks, particularly the BRICS.

 

JOINING BRICS

Egypt is participating in the BRICS summit for the first time since becoming a member of the bloc early this year.

Through its BRICS membership, Egypt aims to boost its investment and foreign flows as well as to foster economic cooperation with other member states.

Sisi delivered a speech during the summit, reaffirming Egypt’s support for bolstering consultation and coordination among BRICS countries, intensifying cooperation to address global challenges and ensure access to concessional financing and food security.

During the summit, Sisi held meetings with several world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, discussing regional tensions.

The BRICS bloc of major developing economies is an intergovernmental organization that comprises Brazil, Russia, India, and China as founding countries alongside other members: Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.