CAIRO – 9 September 2025: In his speech at a virtual BRICS Summit held on Monday, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi called upon BRICS nations to support ongoing efforts to revive the two-state solution and recognize the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state.
Sisi affirmed Egypt's unwavering position that categorically rejects any scenario aimed at displacing Palestinians from their land, under any pretext.
The President reiterated Egypt's condemnation and complete rejection of attempts to impose Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and of plans to build new settlements, with the aim of changing the legal and demographic status of the occupied Palestinian territories and imposing a fait accompli that undermines the Palestinian people's right to establish their independent state.
Here is the President’s full speech in text:
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful”
Your Excellency, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva,
President of the Federative Republic of Brazil,
Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government,
Distinguished Guests,
At the outset I would like to extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation to my friend, His Excellency President Lula da Silva, for his wise leadership and for his country’s diligent efforts during its chairmanship of the BRICS group this year, which culminated in the huge success of the Rio summit last July and the significant resolutions it produced.
I would also like to thank His Excellency President Lula da Silva for his invitation to convene this crucial meeting to exchange views at a critical time, as the world is grappling with conflicts jeopardizing not only multilateral international action but also the entire system of foundations, rules and principles that has underpinned International Order since 1945.
The international landscape is now plagued by blatant duality of standards and flagrant violation of the provisions of international law. This is occurring without the slightest regard for accountability, under a system of impunity and an alarming escalation of unilateralism and protectionist measures.
This regression undermines the very foundations of international peace and security. It pushes humanity back into a state of disorder and lawlessness, solidifying the use of force as a means to impose will and achieve objectives, all at the expense of legitimacy and justice.
It is no surprise that amid this decline, crises have aggravated, conflicts have ignited, and wars have broken out. Unspeakable horrific crimes of killing and destruction have been committed, leaving an ineradicable mark of shame that will forever haunt all those with blood on their hands.
This dire reality has undermined the effectiveness of joint international action, crippling the ability of states and UN institutions to address pressing issues that require the highest degree of coordination and collaboration.
In this context, the status of the UN Security Council serves as a striking testament to the international community’s current state of incapacitation and regression. This has negatively and directly eroded the confidence of nations in the UN system, most notably in the performance of the Security Council itself.
This erosion of credibility has driven many nations to call for a complete overhaul of the Security Council’s working mechanism, including the explicit demand to abolish the veto power. This privilege has, over time, become an instrument that disconnects the Council from realities on the ground, rendering it powerless to fulfil its core mission of settling conflicts and stopping wars, despite its mandate as the UN’s primary body charged with upholding international peace and security.
Adding to this, the ramifications of this deteriorating global situation have extended to imperil the gains of global economic growth, threatening them with collapse. Today, the world is experiencing a significant slowdown in economic growth rates, a decline in international trade, and a diminished focus on issues of development and development financing. All of this unfolds as developing nations face widening developmental, financial and digital gaps, along with escalating debt burdens and weakening access to concessional funding. This is compounded by these countries’ limited influence within the global financial institutions.
It is for these reasons that the BRICS group is so significant. It is an emerging international forum that is firmly establishing constructive cooperation among its member states, guided by the principles of mutual benefit and respect and committed to advancing multilateralism.
In this regard, our meeting today holds unique importance, as it offers a golden opportunity for consultations and the exchange of views on how to promote greater integration among our nations and coordinate efforts to mitigate the severity of current crises. This will strengthen the ability of the BRICS countries to contribute effectively to forging a more balanced and just international system.
To address this alarming reality, I would like to outline several priorities that we consider essential to pursue.
First, we need to foster closer consultations among BRICS’ member states on key issues in all spheres. This will allow for a more accurate understanding of each country’s stances and concerns, contributing to a convergence of views and the establishment of a common ground that strengthens BRICS’ effectiveness on the international stage.
Second, it is imperative to harness the comparative advantages of our countries to launch joint projects in vital sectors. These include, primarily, new and renewable energy, infrastructure, transformative industries, agriculture, scientific research, technology, innovation, and Artificial Intelligence, all while boosting collaboration between the private sectors of our countries.
Third, it is essential to broaden our economic and financial cooperation, notably by settling trade and financial transactions among our nations in local currencies and by supporting the provision of finance through the New Development Bank in national currencies.
Fourth, it is important to intensify coordination among the bloc's member states on reforming the global financial architecture, addressing the debt issue, supporting the provision of fiscal space for developing countries and their access to concessional financing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. This is in addition to enhancing the representation of developing countries in the governance and decision-making process of international financial institutions.
Fifth, it is key to promote cooperation to address the repercussions of climate change and rejecting unilateral policies adopted by some countries under environmental pretexts. This is while emphasizing the need for developed countries to adhere to their commitments to financing climate conservation efforts and providing developing countries with implementation tools, including financing, technology, and capacity building to enable them to achieve their climate goals.
In this context, we look forward to Brazil hosting the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change next November, as a pivotal moment in addressing these pressing issues that directly impact the interests of developing countries.
Dear Excellencies,
The economic challenges that our world faces today are inseparable from the escalating geopolitical tensions. The Middle East is experiencing successive crises that have cast a heavy shadow over international peace and stability and obstructed the paths of sustainable development.
At the core of these crises is the continued brutal Israeli war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, in conjunction with the flagrant violations committed by the occupation in the West Bank and Jerusalem. This is one of the most hazardous conflicts and the most indicative of double standards and violations of international law.
For almost two years, Israel has been committing the most heinous forms of killing and terror, using starvation and denial of health services as a weapon against civilians. This has led to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, to the point where the United Nations has declared a state of famine in the Gaza Strip.
Furthermore, Israel continued to expand its military operations to destroy the foundations of life, with the aims of forcing Palestinians to leave their land, implementing a plan for forced displacement, and liquidating their just cause.
From this standpoint, I reiterate Egypt's unwavering position that categorically rejects any scenario aimed at displacing Palestinians from their land, under any pretext, as it signifies an attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause, suppress the two-state solution, expand the scale of the conflict, and jeopardize the peace process in the Middle East.
I reiterate Egypt's condemnation and complete rejection of attempts to impose Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and of plans to build new settlements, with the aim of changing the legal and demographic status of the occupied Palestinian territories and imposing a fait accompli that undermines the Palestinian people's right to establish their independent state.
Egypt has exerted, and continues to exert, strenuous efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, and release hostages and captives, in preparation for arrangements for the day after to run and reconstruct the Strip. Egypt has prepared a comprehensive plan for early recovery and reconstruction of Gaza, which has received Arab and Islamic approval and broad support from international partners. This plan has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that rebuilding the Strip is possible, while Palestinians remain in their land. Egypt also intends, immediately upon a ceasefire agreement is reached, to host an international conference for the reconstruction of Gaza, in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations, to mobilize the necessary support and funding to implement this ambitious plan.
I hereby call upon you to support ongoing efforts to revive the two-state solution and recognize the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state, along the June 4, 1967, borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, therefore consolidating peace and stability in the Middle East and the world at large, in a just and sustainable manner.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In conclusion, I look forward to our meeting culminating in a renewed, sincere, and unwavering commitment to strengthening our collective action and intensifying coordination among our countries to confront current challenges responsibly and consciously, and to pursue achieving our shared priorities and the goals agreed upon within this bloc, in a way that meets the aspirations of our peoples for prosperity, sustainable development, and a dignified life in a more just and balanced world.
Thank you.
Tue, Sep. 9, 2025
