Egypt’s FM meets with European counterparts on sidelines of Munich Security Conference

CAIRO – 14 February 2025: Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration Badr Abdelatty made several meetings with Foreign Ministers of European countries, on Friday, February 14, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Minister Badr Abdelatty met with Mr. Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia. Minister Abdelatty praised the growing relations between the two countries, noting the multiple high-level visits and meetings in recent months. These include the visit of the President of Estonia to Egypt in November 2024, the Estonian Envoy for Multilateralism and Mediation's visit to Egypt in January 2025, and the Secretary-General of the Estonian Foreign Ministry’s visit in April 2024. He highlighted Egypt's reliance on Estonia to support its positions within the European Union.

The Minister also expressed his hopes for continued cooperation with Estonia in the fields of digitization and information technology, seeking to benefit from Estonia’s advancements in these sectors. Furthermore, he mentioned Egypt's interest in Estonia’s expertise in shale oil exploration. Minister Abdelatty also appreciated the strong cooperation in tourism, with approximately 70,000 Estonian tourists visiting Egypt in 2024.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Minister met with Mr. Radoslaw Sikorski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland. Abdelatty emphasized his desire to host the Polish Foreign Minister in Egypt later this year, particularly in light of Poland’s presidency of the European Union and the evolving regional and international circumstances that require enhanced coordination and consultation. 

He highlighted Egypt's commitment to holding a round of political consultations between the two countries, stressing the importance of Poland's support for Egyptian priorities within the EU.

The Minister also emphasized the need to build on the momentum created by the successful first session of the Joint Economic Committee held in December 2024. He praised the growth of Polish investments in Egypt and noted Poland's participation in various exhibitions Egypt will host in 2025. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of moving forward with arrangements for the Egyptian-Polish Joint Business Council meeting in Warsaw.

On another note, the two ministers exchanged views on several regional and international issues of mutual concern. Minister Abdelatty outlined Egypt’s stance on the developments in the Gaza Strip, detailing Egypt's efforts to implement the ceasefire agreement and the necessity of focusing on early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza while ensuring the presence of Palestinians on their land.

Enhancing the relations with Iceland

The Egyptian Minister met with Ms. Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iceland. During the meeting, Minister Abdelatty congratulated the Icelandic Foreign Minister on assuming her new position and also praised the success of the Nordic Council Summit hosted by Iceland last year. He expressed Egypt's eagerness to strengthen cooperation with Nordic countries and discussed the potential for parliamentary collaboration between the Egyptian Parliament and the Nordic Council.

The Minister highlighted the desire to enhance bilateral cooperation in key areas, including fisheries and fish farming, as well as renewable energy. He stressed the importance of increasing trade exchanges between the two nations and expressed the goal of boosting Egyptian exports to Iceland. Minister Abdelatty also reviewed Egypt's efforts to solidify the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, detailing the three stages of the agreement and the facilitation of humanitarian aid into the Strip. He emphasized the critical need to begin the process of early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, ensuring that Palestinians can return to their land.

Tripartite cooperation with Norway in Africa

Furthermore, Badr Abdelatty met with Mr. Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, on Friday, February 14, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. He emphasized the importance of building on the outcomes of the successful visit by the President of the Republic to Norway in December 2024. He welcomed the upcoming round of political consultations between the two countries in Oslo, aiming to activate the memorandum of understanding signed during the presidential visit, which seeks to establish a mechanism for ongoing political consultations.

The Minister praised the progress in bilateral economic cooperation, particularly in renewable energy, and expressed a strong desire to increase the volume of Norwegian investments in Egypt. He also discussed the potential for tripartite cooperation with Norway in Africa, aligning with Norway's new strategy toward the continent. He suggested leveraging the expertise of the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development in this regard.

Minister Abdelatty reviewed Egypt’s efforts to solidify the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, emphasizing the full implementation of all three stages. He also outlined Egypt's intention to present a comprehensive vision for the reconstruction of Gaza, ensuring the Palestinian people remain on their land. He stressed the urgency of beginning the early recovery process. The Minister commended Norway’s support for the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

European Council praises Egypt’s efforts in securing Gaza ceasefire

In his meeting with met with Mr. Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, Egyptian Foreign Minister highlighted the progress in Egypt's relations with the European Union, particularly since the joint declaration that elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. He underscored Egypt's commitment to fully implementing all aspects of this partnership. The Minister also welcomed the European Union’s financial support package for Egypt and expressed his hope for the swift approval of the second tranche, valued at 4 billion euros, with the President of the European Council’s support.

The President of the European Council asked to convey his greetings to President Sisi, expressing appreciation for Egypt’s pivotal role in securing the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and supporting security and stability in the Middle East. He emphasized that Egypt is a crucial partner for the European Union. The meeting also covered developments in the Middle East. Minister Abdelatty reviewed Egypt’s ongoing efforts to consolidate the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and ensure its full implementation in all three stages. He reiterated Egypt’s intention to present a comprehensive vision for early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, one that guarantees the continued presence of the Palestinian people on their land.

The Egyptian Foreign Minister also met with other several European officials including Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme Achim Steiner, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania Emil Hurezeanu, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Mirjana Spoljaric, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Ghada Fathi Waly.