CAIRO

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that he rejected the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza during a meeting Monday in Washington, DC according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

Abdelatty underscored the urgent need for recovery efforts in Gaza, including debris removal and reconstruction, with Palestinians remaining in their homeland and firmly rejected their displacement with support from the Arab and Islamic world as well as the international community, said the statement.

He reiterated Egypt's commitment to working with the US to achieve a just peace in the Middle East, one that respects the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, particularly their right to an independent state, it added.

The meeting in Washington marked Abdelatty’s first visit since the inauguration of US President Donald Trump and the first round of discussions between the two top diplomats.

Since Jan. 25, Trump has repeatedly suggested that Palestinians in Gaza should be taken in by regional Arab nations such as Egypt and Jordan, an idea rejected by both the Arab states and Palestinian leaders.

Trump also said he will consider cancelling aid to Jordan and Egypt if they do not accept Palestinians being relocated from Gaza.

According to the US State Department, Rubio "reiterated the importance of close cooperation to advance post-conflict planning for the governance and security of Gaza and stressed that Hamas can never govern Gaza or threaten Israel again."

He also thanked his Egyptian counterpart for Egypt’s mediation efforts, for sustaining humanitarian assistance deliveries throughout Gaza, and accepting medical evacuations, said the statement.

Achieving regional security

The two men also engaged in a broad discussion on regional developments, including the situations in Gaza, Syria, Libya, Sudan, the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.

Abdelatty and Rubio also discussed plans for the Future of Egypt Economic Forum, scheduled for later this year in Cairo in collaboration with the US Chamber of Commerce, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. The forum aims to significantly boost trade exchanges and increase American investments in Egypt.

The top Egyptian diplomat expressed his country’s eagerness to cooperate with the new US administration to achieve regional security, stability and a fair, comprehensive peace.

Regarding Sudan, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt's support for Sudanese state institutions and the necessity for a ceasefire.

The talks also covered Syria, with Abdelatty stressing the importance of respecting Syria’s territorial integrity and initiating a political process that includes all Syrian communities, aiming to make Syria a stabilizing force in the region.

The two also discussed Egypt's water security, with Abdelatty reiterating Egypt's position on the need for a legally binding agreement on the operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) which respects the rights of downstream countries.

Disagreements persist between Egypt and Ethiopia over the dam, which is being built on the Nile River, a primary water source for Egypt, as well as the 2010 Entebbe Agreement on Nile water distribution, which both Cairo and Khartoum reject.

The discussions also included other shared concerns such as developments in Lebanon, Libya, the Horn of Africa and Red Sea navigation security. Both sides agreed on the importance of continued consultations and coordination between Egypt and the US.