FM meets EU foreign policy chief in NY

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met Tuesday with Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy chief, to discuss means of boosting bilateral relations and a financial program of 2017-2018.

Egypt is keen on cooperating with the EU to find a sustainable solution to illegal immigration, while taking into consideration the developmental aspects and root causes of the problem, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid quoted Shoukry as having said.

The top diplomat also touched upon Egypt’s strenuous efforts to control the borders and host refugees and immigrants, Abu Zeid added.

The meeting focused on a number of regional files, atop of which the situation in Libya, with Shoukry stressing Cairo’s moves to bring closer views of the different Libyan parties, the spokesman said. The foreign minister cited recent meetings of Libyan top brass in the Egyptian capital with the aim to unify the Libyan army, which is an important step on the road toward achieving stability in Libya and eliminating terrorism, Abu Zeid noted.

Shoukry also reviewed his country’s efforts to broker agreements meant to ease tension in Syria’s Ghouta and Homs, the spokesman added. The top diplomat pressed for international action to revive Syria political talks in Geneva and unify stances of the Syrian opposition, Abu Zeid said.

Mogherini said the EU has called for a meeting in New York on Thursday to also discuss the economic aspect of the Syrian crisis, given that the Geneva talks only focus on the political track, while discussions in Astana are only concerned with the military and security, the spokesman said.

He added that the meeting also took up Egyptian efforts to achieve Palestinian reconciliation, as well as the latest developments in the Qatar crisis and the situation in Iraq.

Source : Mena