Egypt – Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aati discussed, yesterday, Friday, with his Djiboutian counterpart Mahmoud Yusuf and his Somali counterpart Ahmed Faki, the Red Sea crises and the war in Sudan, which have been ongoing for regarding a year.
This came during two visits by the Egyptian minister to the two countries on Friday, which witnessed the launch of the first direct flight line between the three countries, according to two sources, one of which is official.
According to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Abdel-Ati held extensive bilateral talks on Friday with his Djiboutian and Somali counterparts, followed by two press conferences in the two countries.
The Egyptian Minister’s visits to Djibouti and Somalia came on “the first flights of the national carrier, EgyptAir, to launch the direct flight line between the three countries.”
Abdel-Ati and Youssef discussed “ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of health, electricity, solar energy, communications, information technology and education.”
Youssef expressed his appreciation for his Egyptian counterpart’s keenness to be on board the first EgyptAir plane to Djibouti, according to the same statement.
The discussions also addressed the issue of Red Sea security and ensuring freedom of international navigation.
Egypt and Djibouti are among the “countries most affected by developments in this important trade corridor,” according to the Egyptian statement.
In “solidarity with the Gaza Strip,” which has been subjected to a devastating Israeli war with American support since October 7, the Houthis targeted cargo ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea, a vital shipping corridor and global supply chains, with missiles and drones.
In Somalia, the Egyptian minister held an expanded bilateral discussion session on Friday with his Somali counterpart, Ahmed Maalim Faqi, following his arrival in the capital, Mogadishu.
The discussion focused on “the situation in Sudan and how to support efforts to reach a political settlement to get out of the crisis.”
Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have been waging a war that has left regarding 15,000 dead and regarding 8.5 million displaced and refugees, according to the United Nations. Washington and Saudi Arabia have led mediation attempts to end the conflict without yet yielding a response to a ceasefire.
For his part, Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Faqi confirmed, during a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart, at Mogadishu Airport, that launching these direct flights will contribute to strengthening economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, according to the Anadolu Agency correspondent.
The Somali minister stressed the leading role played by Egypt in supporting the position of the Mogadishu government, stressing that Cairo “will continue to prevent any measures that would undermine Somalia’s sovereignty.”
Last January, the Somali Foreign Ministry announced that there was “no room for mediation” in Mogadishu’s dispute with Addis Ababa, unless Ethiopia withdrew from the “illegal agreement” it had concluded with the breakaway region of Somaliland, which provides it with a sea outlet.
The Somali confirmation came following tensions erupted between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa, following the latter signed a memorandum of understanding with “Somaliland”, paving the way for the construction of an Ethiopian military base. The Arab League and a large number of its members, including Egypt, announced their rejection of the agreement and their support for Somalia’s sovereignty over its territory.
Anatolia
#Egyptian #Foreign #Minister #discusses #Red #Sea #Sudan #crises #Djibouti #Somalia
2024-07-13 18:56:49
