Russian, Egyptian ministers reiterate need to establish Palestinian state

CAIRO: The foreign ministers of Egypt and Russia reiterated the necessity of establishing a Palestinian state on the entire Palestinian territory, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

They also agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and unconditional humanitarian aid access.

Badr Abdelatty, who was in Moscow on Monday, and Sergey Lavrov exchanged views on the Israeli aggression against the occupied Palestinian territories in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

The two men held an expanded consultation session, followed by a joint press conference.

Abdelatty emphasized the need for bilateral cooperation in various fields, especially in the sectors of energy, food security, tourism, transport and logistics, “which contribute to advancing economic and trade relations between the two countries … especially with Egypt’s accession to the BRICS membership.”

The two ministers discussed the developments of important projects being implemented, most notably the Dabaa nuclear power plant and the Russian industrial zone in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.

Abdelatty and Lavrov also touched on the situations in Syria, Sudan and Libya, in addition to the need to achieve security in the Red Sea and ensure freedom of maritime navigation in this vital region of the world.

He emphasized the importance of Somali sovereignty over its territories, and condemned any action that undermines its unity.

Regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Abdelatty emphasized the importance of Egypt’s water security and the need to reach a binding legal agreement on filling and operating the dam, and rejecting any unilateral measures.

The dam is on the Blue Nile tributary in the northern Ethiopia highlands, from where 85 percent of the Nile’s waters flow. Egypt, with a population of about 107 million people, relies on the River Nile for nearly all its fresh water, which is vital for household and agricultural use.