Cairo: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty on Friday took part in a ministerial meeting dedicated to launching the Mediterranean Charter. The meeting was attended by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka ‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦ uica, and several foreign ministers from Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) member states. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 10th UfM Regional Forum, which carries special significance this year as it marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of the Barcelona Process.
According to State Information Service Egypt, Abdelatty underscored the importance of the Charter as a comprehensive framework aimed at strengthening integration among Mediterranean countries, addressing shared challenges, and leveraging economic, social, and cultural opportunities to advance a partnership built on trust and mutual respect. He highlighted Egypt's active participation in the Charter's preparatory meetings. The minister stressed Egypt's interest in the Charter's three pillars: human development, the economy, and security and migration management.
On human development, Abdelatty noted Egypt's readiness to host the Euro-Mediterranean University and to expand academic, research, and innovation cooperation, citing Egypt's regional role, its hosting of prominent international universities, and its participation in the Horizon Europe program. Addressing the economic pillar, he emphasized the need to provide the resources and incentives required to encourage investment in Southern Mediterranean partner countries according to each state's needs and capabilities.
He outlined Egypt's contributions to a number of economic, infrastructure, and renewable-energy projects, including the Egypt-Greece electricity interconnection, the agricultural goods transport corridor between Egypt and Italy, and the Terra Med clean-energy initiative. He reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to renewable-energy policies, regional energy cooperation, attracting investment, and expanding access to clean energy. Abdelatty stressed that economic development remains central to relations across the Mediterranean, highlighting the need for the industrial sector to act as a primary driver of economic growth and joint cooperation, alongside efforts to localize industry and technology.
On emigration, the minister emphasized the need to address irregular migration through a comprehensive developmental approach and to balance efforts to curb irregular flows with creating legal pathways for labor mobility to fill skills shortages in Europe. Abdelatty also urged the international community to address evolving regional geopolitical challenges and intensify efforts to reach a just settlement of the Palestinian issue through a two-state solution, building on the outcomes of the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit, implementing U.S. President Donald Trump's plan, and ensuring unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip.