Egyptian, Israeli foreign ministers discuss regional stability

By Abdelraouf Arna'out

JERUSALEM (AA) – Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen on Friday discussed ways to enhance regional stability and efforts to avoid escalation in the region.

During a meeting in New York on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the top diplomats also discussed bilateral economic ties.

In a statement on X, the Israeli foreign minister hailed the meeting, saying they discussed developments in the Middle East and ways to enhance their trade and economic ties.

"Partnership between Egypt and Israel is an anchor of stability," Cohen said.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Abu Zeid, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman, said in a statement the meeting discussed the developments in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Shoukry told Cohen that escalation could lead to a cycle of violence that would further distance the two sides (Palestinians and Israelis) from achieving peace and implementing the two-state solution, the statement said.

The Egyptian foreign minister reiterated Egypt's commitment to continuing all efforts to encourage the parties to resume negotiations to reach a peaceful settlement.

In 1993, the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel signed the Oslo Accords, which gave Palestinians a form of civil rule. Negotiations, however, failed to complete a peace agreement leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

US-sponsored peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis collapsed in April 2014 as Tel Aviv refused to stop settlement building and release Palestinian detainees imprisoned before 1993.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar​​​​​​​