CAIRO – 20 August 2025: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, had a phone call on Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as part of regular consultations and ongoing coordination between Egypt and Russia on relations and issues of mutual concern.
The two ministers reviewed the trajectory of bilateral relations, voicing satisfaction with their tangible progress and affirming mutual keenness to further strengthen cooperation in various fields.
Abdelatty highlighted Egypt’s historical and strategic relations with Russia, underpinned by the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, which serves as the guiding framework for shared cooperation.
He noted the momentum in political consultations and joint technical committees, reflecting the strong political will to advance economic, trade, and scientific cooperation.
Abdelatty emphasized progress made in strategic projects, foremost among them the El-Dabaa nuclear power plant and the Russian Industrial Zone in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, as well as efforts to boost Russian industrial investments.
On regional developments, the talks covered the dire situation in Gaza, with Abdelatty outlining Egypt’s intensive mediation efforts with Qatar and the US to secure a ceasefire, facilitate humanitarian aid delivery, and release hostages and detainees.
He pointed to important progress achieved, reflected in recent Cairo consultations with a Palestinian delegation on the proposal put forward by US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and accepted by Hamas, stressing that the ball is now in Israel’s court and underlining the need for pressure on Tel Aviv to accept the plan to help alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
The top diplomat also reviewed preparations to host a planned Gaza International Conference on Early Recovery and Reconstruction once a ceasefire is reached.
The phone call also addressed issues of mutual concern, including water security.
Abdelatty conveyed Egypt’s concerns regarding the Nile River and its water security, stressing Egypt’s position that shared water resources must be governed by international law, and rejecting unilateral measures inconsistent with these rules.
He underlined that Egypt will take all measures guaranteed under international law to safeguard its water security.
On Iran’s nuclear file, Abdelatty emphasized the importance of adhering to diplomatic paths and creating conditions conducive to resuming cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to build trust and promote regional stability.
On international issues, Lavrov briefed Abdelatty on the outcomes of the recent US-Russia summit held in Alaska on August 15, noting its contribution to fostering a climate conducive to addressing the Ukraine crisis.
Abdelatty, for his part, said Egypt is closely following developments of the summit, underscoring the importance of reaching a comprehensive political settlement and prioritizing diplomacy as the primary avenue to end conflicts.
Wed, Aug. 20, 2025
