Egyptian, Ukrainian FMs discuss global food security

CAIRO- 25 November 2024: Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Badr Abdelatty met on Monday with Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the sidelines of the G7 meetings in the Italian city of Fiuggi.

Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported that Minister Abdelatty emphasized the strong cooperation between the two countries. 

He expressed his hopes for the next round of political consultations to activate existing joint frameworks, as well as the convening of the Egyptian-Ukrainian Joint Committee for Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation. 

The two ministers also discussed global food security. Minister Abdelatty stressed Egypt's interest in efforts to restore agricultural exports from Ukraine, particularly grain, to global markets.

Minister Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s commitment to enhancing trade and economic cooperation with Ukraine, highlighting that Egypt is Ukraine's leading trading partner in Africa and the Middle East. 

He also expressed a desire to expand cooperation in sectors such as gas, construction, development, energy, communications, information technology, and industrial localization. 

Additionally, he voiced Egypt's support for tripartite cooperation between Egypt, Ukraine, and Africa, with the goal of using Egypt as a gateway for exports and investment into African markets.

Regarding the Ukrainian crisis, Minister Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt's position, which is based on respecting international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. 

He underscored Egypt’s belief in resolving the crisis through negotiations that serve the interests of both parties. 

He also highlighted Egypt's active involvement in relevant initiatives, including the African leaders' initiative, the Arab contact group on the crisis, and its participation in the ministerial meeting of the China-Brazil initiative on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.