CAIRO – 1 September 2025: Ambassador Ragui El-Etreby, the presidential Representative to the G20 and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, stressed on Monday that what is happening in the Palestinian territories, particularly in Gaza, represents a ‘systematic and deliberate policy of using starvation’ as a weapon.
During his speech at the G20 Summit held in Egypt, he explained that the current crisis reveals the use of food as a weapon to break the resilience of people in Gaza. He emphasized that the official declaration of famine reflects the magnitude of the tragedy facing the Palestinians.
El-Etreby added that the G20 must demonstrate its commitment to the principle of ‘leaving no one behind,’ and that the solutions it discusses must be comprehensive, just, and target all peoples, not just the G20 countries.
The inaugural official meeting of the G20, held outside the member states, kicked off Monday in Cairo, with the participation of Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk and Ambassador Ragy El-Etreby, Personal Representative of the President of the Republic to the G20 and Assistant Foreign Minister.
This exceptional event crowns Egypt’s distinguished participation as a guest country in the G20 meetings for the third consecutive year and the fifth time overall.
It reflects recognition of Egypt’s regional weight, its tangible contribution to addressing major issues on the international agenda, and its efforts to advance multilateral negotiation tracks in a way that takes into account the concerns and priorities of developing countries, particularly African states, and amplifies their voice in international and regional forums.
The three-day meeting is held in coordination with South Africa’s presidency of the G20 this year, to discuss the growing challenge of food security and its multiple dimensions. It is attended by a large number of G20 member states, guest countries participating under the South African presidency, as well as several international organizations and financial institutions.
Mon, Sep. 1, 2025
