By MENA
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty has affirmed the depth of cooperation between Egypt and the Sultanate of Oman.
This came during a joint press conference held Tuesday, July 1, 2025, with Omani Foreign Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi.
Abdelatty welcomed his Omani counterpart and his accompanying delegation, referring to Egypt as their 鈥渟econd home.鈥
The minister noted that he and his Omani counterpart co-chaired the 16th session of the Egyptian-Omani Joint Committee, which is held at a significant time as bilateral relations are witnessing a major leap forward.
Abdelatty said this progress reflects the directives of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman who have both called for further strengthening of ties across all fields and broadening cooperation horizons in light of the strong bonds between the two leaders and the deep-rooted ties between the Egyptian and Omani peoples.
Abdelatty stated that the sessions of the Joint Committee, which were attended by Minister of Labor Mohamed Gebran, witnessed the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and executive programs in various fields, including investment, mineral wealth, food safety, religious endowments, higher education, scientific research and innovation, media, labor, training, and human capital development.
He pointed out that the meetings of the current session reflect the mutual keenness of both Egypt and Oman to build upon the outcomes of the 15th session held in Muscat in 2023, and the momentum created by the important visit of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Muscat in June 2022, which was followed by the visit of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq to Cairo in 2023. These milestones clearly demonstrate the strong political will to deepen the strategic partnership, he reiterated.
The minister said he held extensive talks with his Omani counterpart, emphasizing both countries鈥 strong commitment to further advancing bilateral relations.
Abdelatty expressed his hope that economic, trade, and investment ties will catch up with the already robust political relations, noting that bilateral trade volume has exceeded $1 billion and emphasizing the strong potential to expand trade cooperation.
He further stated that Egypt highly appreciates the work of Omani companies operating in its market and highlighted that there are many Egyptian companies now active in the Omani market to support the goals of Oman Vision 2040 across various priority sectors.
Abdelatty stressed the enormous opportunities for economic integration and stronger business links between the two countries, underlining the importance of launching more investment partnerships. He also stressed the vital need to activate the Egypt-Oman Business Council, citing his visit to Muscat in January to attend the Council鈥檚 meetings.
The talks also covered human capital development, particularly the remarkable progress in the technical training and development sector, the minister said, underlining the need to strengthen digital connectivity between Egypt and Oman.
Abdelatty said the discussions also touched on the security situation in the region, as well as the high levels of uncertainty and polarization at the international level. The two sides agreed on enhancing consultation and cooperation, he added.
He stated that both Egypt and Oman share a common vision focused on de-escalation and finding political peaceful solutions to the crises affecting the region, stressing that there are no military solutions for ongoing conflicts that destabilize the region.
Abdelatty reaffirmed that the security of the Sultanate of Oman and the Gulf region is an integral part of Egypt鈥檚 national security.
The two ministers also discussed the Palestinian cause, which they consider the core of the conflict in the region. Both ministers expressed rejection of all displacement plots and condemned the crimes committed daily against the innocent Palestinian people, who simply aspire to live a dignified life on their homeland.
Abdelatty reiterated condemnation of the brutal aggression on Gaza and the West Bank, stressing rejection and denunciation of Israel鈥檚 systematic starvation policy.
He briefed his Omani counterpart about the latest developments regarding Egypt鈥檚 ongoing mediation efforts with Qatar and the United States to swiftly reach a ceasefire agreement that would include the release of hostages and help spare further bloodshed of the Palestinian people.
Abdelatty stressed that Israel bears full responsibility for the current situation as the occupying power, emphasizing the critical need for applying unified standards and adhering to the rules of international law and international humanitarian law.
Both ministers agreed that no lasting solution in the region can be achieved without recognizing the full and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including that of the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The two ministers also expressed their support for the Arab-Islamic plan for early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza.
Abdelatty said the date of an international conference for early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, to be hosted in Egypt, will be announced once a ceasefire agreement is reached.
The talks also covered the Iranian nuclear file, with both Egypt and Oman sharing the same stances on the need to back a political and peaceful solution to the issue.
Abdelatty lauded Oman鈥檚 efforts to de-escalate tensions, bring parties back to the negotiating table, and reject military solutions. He reiterated that any settlement should be made within the framework of the principles of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The minister added that he agreed with his Omani counterpart to have daily contact in order to support and maintain the Iranian-Israeli ceasefire agreement.