Cairo: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Expatriates Badr Abdelatty received a phone call late on Thursday from U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff as part of ongoing coordination between Cairo and Washington on regional issues of mutual concern. The two officials discussed ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between Egypt and the United States, highlighting the strong ties between President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to State Information Service Egypt, both sides stated that Egyptian-U.S. relations remain a cornerstone for supporting security and stability in the Middle East. They voiced a shared desire to deepen cooperation across political, security, and economic fields to advance common interests and regional stability. The call also reviewed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip, where the two sides exchanged views on next steps following the move to the second phase of President Trump's peace plan.

This phase includes the launch of a Palestinian technocratic committee after its formation is announced, the deployment of an international stabilization force to monitor the Gaza ceasefire, Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, and the start of early recovery and reconstruction efforts. Regional developments were also discussed, particularly those in Iran, with both sides underscoring the importance of de-escalation to prevent the region from sliding into instability.

Witkoff praised Egypt's central role in promoting regional security and its continued efforts to contain regional crises and push for political solutions aimed at easing tensions across the Middle East.