Egyptian-Norwegian Joint Statement in Follow-up to President Sisi's Visit to Oslo

CAIRO – 27 December 2024: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and the Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre met in the city of Oslo, Norway, on December 9.

Both leaders said in the joint statement, published on December 27, 2024, that Egypt and Norway have had close bilateral cooperation relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1936. 

“Today, we reaffirmed our commitment to further developing the relations of goodwill and friendship between our two countries,” the joint statement read.

The two leaders also agreed to hold regular political consultations on issues of mutual interest with the aim of strengthening the partnership and combining efforts to achieve shared goals of stability, peace, and prosperity.

They reaffirmed their shared principles in accordance with the United Nations Charter regarding the respect for international law, including international humanitarian law, human rights law, regional stability, and national sovereignty.

“We expressed our deep concern about the situation in the Middle East, including the immense suffering of civilians and the urgent humanitarian needs. We agreed on the necessity for all parties to break the cycle of violence and take immediate and substantive measures to address this situation,” the statement said.

President Sisi and Norwegian Prime Minister condemned all violations of international humanitarian law and agreed on the urgent need for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages and prisoners in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735. Norway, for its part, condemned the terrorist attack launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and called for the immediate release of the hostages.

“We reaffirmed that all parties are obligated to protect civilians and emphasized Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law to allow and facilitate the safe access of humanitarian aid through all routes in all areas of the Gaza Strip,” the statement continued. These were also the key messages during the Cairo Ministerial Conference to enhance the humanitarian response for Gaza, held on December 2, 2024. 

“Additionally, we rejected all forms of forced displacement of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. We also expressed our concern about the current escalation, the increasing violence of settlers, and military incursions in the West Bank," the two leaders said in the statement.

As for the situation in Lebanon, both leaders welcomed the declaration of a ceasefire in Lebanon and urged both parties to implement it.

Furthermore, the two leaders said: “We also expressed our deep concern regarding the systematic obstruction imposed by Israel on UNRWA and other organizations providing aid, including the recent legislation adopted by the Knesset. If implemented, this legislation would prevent UNRWA from continuing its operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza, which could have severe consequences for the livelihoods of thousands of civilians and would violate Israel’s obligations under international law.”

President Sisi and Norwegian Prime Minister Støre emphasized joint efforts to support the indispensable role of UNRWA and to support the submission of a draft resolution to the United Nations General Assembly requesting the International Court of Justice to issue an advisory opinion on this matter.

They discussed the many challenges facing the Palestinian Authority and reaffirmed their support for the efforts of the Palestinian government, led by Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, to address these challenges.

“We underscored the necessity of unifying Gaza and the West Bank under Palestinian Authority control, with the aim of strengthening the Palestinian state and its establishment based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions,” the statement said.

“We agreed that Israel needs to undertake and assess services for its people. We also affirmed the need to continue coordinating these issues within the framework of the Palestinian Aid Coordination Committee.

“We agreed that ending the occupation of Palestinian territories in Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and implementing the two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians live side by side in peace and security, is vital for stability in the region,” the statement added.

The two leaders also discussed how they should coordinate future initiatives, including within the global coalition to implement the two-state solution. “We share the view that the political solution, based on international law, is the key to coexistence, cooperation, and peace in the Middle East,” they said.