Cairo: UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres commended Egypt's sustained contributions to international peace and security during a phone call with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty on Saturday. Guterres opened the conversation by praising Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's leadership in promoting regional stability amid what he described as "highly complex" crises gripping the Middle East and North Africa.

According to State Information Service Egypt, most discussions focused on the Gaza Strip, where officials reviewed progress on implementing the second phase of the US President's peace plan. Abdelatty urged the completion of second-phase requirements, including deploying an International Stabilization Force and strengthening the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. He also called for reopening the Rafah border crossing for two-way traffic and for Israeli forces to withdraw from the territory, according to a foreign ministry statement.

The Foreign Minister underscored that these measures are essential to consolidating stability and creating conditions for a return to normalcy in the devastated strip. He also called for launching an early recovery and reconstruction process tailored to the needs of Gaza residents through a comprehensive framework.

The call also tackled the deteriorating situation in Sudan, where Abdelatty called for an immediate humanitarian truce and the establishment of safe zones and aid corridors as initial steps toward a complete ceasefire. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive, Sudanese-owned political process to resolve the conflict, while reiterating Egypt's unwavering stance on respecting Sudan's sovereignty, preserving its unity and territorial integrity, and supporting the country's national institutions.