Egyptian FM stresses de-escalation in talks with US envoy
Cairo (ANTARA) - Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Sunday (2/8) emphasised the importance of continued efforts to prevent further escalation in the region during a telephone conversation with US President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff.
According to a statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the conversation Abdelatty affirmed that political and diplomatic solutions remain the only viable path towards achieving regional security and stability.
Abdelatty called for enhanced international and regional efforts to manage the various ongoing crises in the region and to support de-escalation initiatives. According to him, such steps would help create conditions conducive to the resumption of dialogue while addressing the root causes of the conflict.
On the same day, Abdelatty also held separate telephone conversations with the foreign ministers of Qatar, Iraq and Kuwait to discuss developments in the region and efforts to ease tensions.
Last month, the US military launched several waves of attacks against Iran, stating that the actions were a response to Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and aimed at weakening Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.
Iran subsequently retaliated by launching missile and drone attacks targeting US military bases and facilities in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain.
On the same Sunday, Abdelatty discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip as well as efforts to advance the implementation of the US-proposed peace plan for the territory during a telephone conversation with Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza of the US-led Peace Council.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday (30/7) that the Peace Council had reached an agreement on the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.
Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said on Friday (31/7) that Hamas had approved the latest version of the roadmap for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza following intense negotiations.
However, Hamas stipulated that any arrangements concerning weapons must be accompanied by a complete cessation of aggression, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory, and progress on reconstruction.