LONDON: Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid in Brussels on Sunday for the first time since Israel’s new cross-party coalition took office last month.
Shoukry said “urgent action was needed to resolve the current stalemate between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, leading to just and comprehensive peace negotiations,” Egypt’s foreign ministry spokesperson said on Twitter.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of Shoukry visit to the Belgian capital where he held talks with European counterparts on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam issue.
Both minsters are also in Brussels to attend the European Union foreign ministers’ summit.
During his visit to Brussels, FM #Sameh_Shoukry meets his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, and stresses the need to resolve the current stalemate between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, leading to a just and comprehensive peace negotiations.@yairlapid pic.twitter.com/VEdDT5gcSB
— Egypt MFA Spokesperson (@MfaEgypt) July 11, 2021
On Thursday, Lapid, foreign minister in a cross-partisan coalition that ousted long-serving conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government a month ago, held his first meeting with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi.
Lapid said the countries also agreed to explore increasing Jordan’s exports to the West Bank to $700 million a year, from $160 million now.
“The Kingdom of Jordan is an important neighbor and partner,” Lapid said in a statement. “We will broaden economic cooperation for the good of the two countries.”
(With Reuters)
