Cairo: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty has called for restoring the ceasefire and lifting the blockade on the Gaza Strip. Abdelatty's call came during his meeting on Friday with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, on the sidelines of a preparatory meeting of Arab foreign ministers ahead of the 34th Arab Summit, which is set to take place in Iraq's Baghdad.

According to State Information Service Egypt, the Foreign Minister stressed Egypt's keenness to continue fostering cooperation with the UN, appreciating Guterres' positions that are based on respecting international law and applying unified standards in dealing with regional issues. Abdelatty advocated for intensifying joint efforts to mitigate the humanitarian crisis faced by Palestinians in Gaza.

The pair discussed the latest developments on an international conference to be hosted by Cairo for Gaza reconstruction, emphasizing the importance of mobilizing the necessary funding for implementing the Arab plan for reconstructing the Palestinian enclave at the regional and international levels.

For his part, Guterres expressed the UN's commitment to maintaining close coordination with Egypt on reaching a ceasefire and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The meeting also covered recent updates in Sudan, where the foreign minister emphasized Egypt's firm stance on supporting the country's stability, unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, highlighting the necessity of preserving its national institutions. Abdelatty voiced Egypt's willingness to respond positively to regional and international efforts to cease hostilities in Sudan and alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.

The top Egyptian diplomat noted Egypt's role as a regional center for the UN and its agencies and highlighted the various facilities provided by the Egyptian government to the UN and its staff.