CAIRO – 21 September 2025: President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and France’s President Emmanuel Macron reviewed in a phone call on Saturday preparations for the high‑level conference on the two‑state solution, set to resume on Monday during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
They emphasized the conference is “a pivotal step” toward international recognition of the State of Palestine in line with the two-state solution, establishing an independent Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The “High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution” is expected to witness several countries, including France, recognizing the State of Palestine.
The United Kingdom, Malta, Canada, Australia, Luxembourg, and Belgium are all planning to recognize the Palestinian state during the UNGA, with some attaching conditions.
This move aligns with decisions made by the majority of countries worldwide over the past decades.
Since the outbreak of war in Gaza in October 2023, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, Armenia, Mexico, and others have also recognized the Palestinian state.
Portugal is set to recognize the Palestinian state on Sunday, even before the two-state solution conference.
Meanwhile, the United States has criticized the recent push for unilateral recognition of Palestine, and some European countries have yet to announce plans to recognize the state.
Call to Recognize Palestine
During his call with Macron, Sisi reiterated Egypt’s strong welcome of France’s declared intention to recognize the State of Palestine, describing the move as a positive contribution toward achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
The Egyptian president urged countries that have yet to recognize Palestine to take similar steps in support of the international path to resolving the conflict and achieving stability.
Ahead of the planned recognition of a Palestinian state by several states, Egypt emphasized on Saturday that such global push reflects the justness of the Palestinian cause.
In a foreign ministry statement, Cairo commended international community’s increasing determination to end the historic injustice suffered by the Palestinian people and uphold their right to self-determination and basic human rights.
Egypt reaffirmed that there is no alternative to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict except through a settlement based on the two-state solution.
Cairo urged all countries that have not yet recognized the state of Palestine to take this step in support of justice and humanity.
Gaza War, Doha Attacks
Sisi and Macron discussed developments following the virtual summit convened by France on 15 September to address the regional developments, particularly the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza and the blatant Israeli aggression against Qatar.
Sisi praised Macron’s initiative to host the summit, which aimed to explore ways to de-escalate regional tensions.
Sisi also briefed his French counterpart on the key outcomes of the emergency Arab-Islamic summit held in Doha on the same day in the wake of the Israeli attack on Qatar.
Sun, Sep. 21, 2025
