UN Coordinator hosts Hisham Badr ahead departure to Italy

CAIRO – 7 September 2017: The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) hosted Assistant Foreign Minister for International Organizations Affairs, Hisham Badr, at the Residence of the UN Resident Coordinator, Richard Dictus, on September 6 ahead of Badr’s departure to Italy, where he will serve as the newly-appointed Egyptian ambassador.

The UN expressed its appreciation to Badr for his five-year partnership with the United Nations’ agencies, funds and, programs, confirming the strength of ties between the Egyptian government and the UN.

During the meeting, Badr expressed recognition for the UNCT improving its internal working coordination and engaging with Egypt during the past year.

The Italian Ambassador in Egypt, Giampaolo Cantini, will take office on September 14, while Egyptian Ambassador Hisham Badr will resume his job in Rome, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Angelino Alfano said on Monday.

Alfano stated that it is illogical for the two countries to continue halting bilateral high-level political or diplomatic discourse, as Egypt is an indispensable partner to Italy and vice versa, AKI Italian news agency reported.

Italy decided to send back Ambassador Cantini to Cairo a year after he had been summoned, Reuters reported on Monday. Cantini was recalled to Italy in August 2016 following the mysterious torture and murder of Italian PhD student Giulio Regeni in Cairo.