BRITISH Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi held a phone call to discuss the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran, urging a diplomatic path toward a peaceful resolution of the crisis, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement, reported IANS The two leaders, on June 26, emphasised the need to “commit to a return to the negotiating table for a peaceful resolution of the crisis and to refrain from resorting to military force,” the statement said.
Sisi and Starmer welcomed the deescalation that followed the ceasefire, which came into effect earlier this week after nearly two weeks of military hostilities between Israel and Iran, Xinhua news agency reported. Sisi stressed the importance of building on the current calm to achieve “an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip” and to ensure the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave’s population.
He reaffirmed Egypt’s longstanding position on ending the suffering of the Palestinian people and called on the international community to work toward “a just and comprehensive solution” based on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
For his part, Starmer praised Egypt’s role in promoting regional stability and reiterated Britain’s “keenness to coordinate and consult with Egypt on various regional issues of common interest,” according to the statement.
The two leaders also reaffirmed the strength of bilateral ties between Cairo and London and expressed their commitment to advancing cooperation in the economic and investment sectors.
