Egypt Daily News – Dr. Badr Abdel Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, met today with Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the sidelines of the high-level segment of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The ambassador Tamim Khalaf, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that Minister Badr Abdel Aty conveyed the greetings of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to the Secretary-General, emphasizing the commitment to continue enhancing cooperation between Egypt and the United Nations.
Guterres expressed his appreciation for the president’s wisdom and Egypt’s prudent policy in addressing international and regional issues and challenges, as well as its pivotal role in the Middle East, the Arab world, the Islamic community, and Africa, emphasizing Egypt’s deep civilization and its distinguished regional and global role.
Minister Badr Abdel Atti praised the role of the Secretary-General in holding the Future Summit to support the multilateral work system and welcomed the summit’s outcomes, pointing out Egypt’s agreement with what “Guterres” proposed regarding the need to reform the structure of the global financial system to make it fairer and more equitable for developing countries.
He emphasized the importance of finding innovative solutions to expand the mechanisms for developing countries to access concessional financing, alleviate the burden of debt on them, and support national development efforts to achieve sustainable development goals.
Dr. Abdel Aati praised the principled positions of the UN Secretary-General, who consistently aligns with the principles of international law and applies uniform standards to various issues in the region, particularly the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and the escalating humanitarian disaster there, as well as the unjustified Israeli escalation in the region and the aggression against the sovereignty of brotherly Lebanon, a trend that is leading the region to the abyss.
The meeting witnessed a discussion on several other regional issues, including developments in Libya, Sudan, Yemen, the Red Sea, and the Horn of Africa, as well as the importance of maintaining Somalia’s unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
Dr. Abdel Aati addressed the issue of water security and the Ethiopian dam, emphasizing the importance of this matter for Egypt as it is an existential issue directly related to Egyptian national security and cannot be taken lightly.
He also affirmed the rejection of any unilateral practices that harm the interests of the downstream countries and violate established international rules governing transboundary waters.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations was keen to reiterate his appreciation for the President of the Republic, valuing Egypt’s role as one of the founding countries of the United Nations and its contributions to multilateral issues and the achievement of international peace and security, as well as the purposes and objectives of the UN Charter.
