El-Sisi invites Cyprus to Gaza deal signing, Macron set to visit
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Egypt’s president discusses the Gaza ceasefire deal with Cyprus’ Christodoulides, as Macron plans a visit to Sharm el-Sheikh to support the agreement.
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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, attends a conference to support Jerusalem at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023 (AP)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received a phone call from Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, and their discussion focused on recent developments in the Middle East, particularly the Sharm el-Sheikh ceasefire agreement aimed at ending the war on the Gaza Strip, according to a Saturday statement from the Egyptian Presidency.
Presidential Spokesperson Mohamed el-Shenawy noted that President Christodoulides welcomed the agreement, expressed Cyprus’ full support for its implementation, and praised both Egypt’s pivotal role and President el-Sisi’s personal efforts in facilitating the deal.
During the call, el-Sisi briefed his Cypriot counterpart on the main elements of the ceasefire agreement, underscoring its importance in stopping the war, securing the release of captives and detainees, ensuring the sustained flow of humanitarian aid, and launching the reconstruction process in Gaza.
El-Sisi invited his Cypriot counterpart to Gaza deal signing
El-Sisi further stressed the need for the full implementation of all provisions, noting that Egypt had worked tirelessly over the past two years, alongside Qatar and the United States, to end the war and alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people.
The Egyptian president then invited President Christodoulides to a ceremony in Egypt for the signing of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, emphasizing the importance of deploying international forces in Gaza while also securing a United Nations Security Council endorsement to grant the agreement international legitimacy.
Recognizing the urgent need for reconstruction, the two leaders concurred, with President el-Sisi declaring Egypt's upcoming international conference on early recovery, which President Christodoulides immediately endorsed by pledging Cyprus' full participation and support.
Macron set to visit Egypt to support Gaza ceasefire
French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit Egypt on Monday with the dual objectives of expressing support for the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement and discussing the implementation of its subsequent phases, according to an Elysee palace statement.
President Macron will go to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt to discuss the next steps of the Gaza peace plan with partners, in the same place where the deal was originally negotiated. The Presidency's statement added that Macron's visit will be a continuation of the French-Saudi initiative to foster peace in the Middle East under the "two-state solution".
The French presidency did not confirm whether Macron would meet with US President Donald Trump, who brokered the deal, and who may also travel to Egypt.
