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Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held talks with the Vice President of the EU Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on Thursday, discussing issues such as the current situation in Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The two sides discussed relations between Egypt and the EU Commission, the regional situation in the Middle East, the current tensions in the eastern Mediterranean region, and the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
At a press conference held after the meeting, Shoukry said: “We discussed cooperative relations in the trade, economic and investment fields, as the European Union is Egypt’s first partner in economic reform programs.”
The regional situation and the challenges facing both Egypt and the EU were the priority of their talks, he said.
“We discussed how to work together to meet the challenges of the Palestinian problem and the tension in the eastern Mediterranean region and Libya.”
Egypt has a vision to resolve the Libyan crisis, the foreign minister said, communicating with European partners and others to find solutions that serve the interests of the Libyan people and defend their territorial integrity.
This, he explains, stems from concerns about the threat of terrorism, mercenaries and foreign military interference in Libyan affairs.
“Egypt’s vision has not changed, which is the need to reach a peaceful and consensual solution, a Libyan-Libyan solution, in accordance with the framework of Skhirat, the Security Council and the UN envoy,” Shoukry explained.
The international community has agreed to resolve the crisis through the Berlin process to achieve stability and form a Council of the Libyan Presidency.
For his part, Borrel said: “We have raised the situation in Libya, which I visited earlier this week, and where Egypt is playing a decisive role, and I want to thank them for this role in promoting and maintaining the ceasefire in Libya.”
“I think we have to continue working on the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, where current events are very worrying, and on the need for de-escalation and dialogue,” he added.
Edited translation by Al-Masry Al-Youm
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