Egypt's Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr held talks with foreign ministers of Sudan, Tunisia and Morocco on Thursday morning on the sidelines of the ninth China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Tunisia.
Amr discussed with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karty the latest developments in the crisis between Sudan and South Sudan. Karty said he seeks to narrow the gap between the two countries, stressing the need to solve security problems as a preliminary step to settling the dispute.
Amr said Egypt supports the return of the two countries to negotiations to resolve all outstanding issues. The two ministers discussed the situation in Somalia and what Arab countries could offer to solve the crisis in light of the summit held in Istanbul to discuss Somali affairs on Friday.
They also discussed Egypt's support for Africa through the Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa, which is affiliated with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. Karty praised these Egyptian efforts and called for extending the support to different areas.
The two ministers discussed cooperation between Egypt, Libya and Sudan and agreed to hold a meeting between the foreign ministers of the three countries to discuss agriculture.
Amr also met Moroccan Foreign Minister Saad Eddine al-Othmani and discussed Arab-Chinese relations and means of developing different mechanisms to enhance them.
Amr and Othmani discussed benefiting from the Chinese experience and stressed the need to continue consultation with the Chinese regarding regional and international issues. They discussed the situation in Syria and the international community. Both agreed that an immediate ceasefire is needed as well as quick moves toward reaching a peaceful solution.
Amr held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who expressed his appreciation for Amr’s participation and the high-level delegation he headed.
The two ministers discussed the Syrian crisis and condemned the random killing of civilians. They agreed that a quick, peaceful solution to the crisis is needed. Amr pointed to China's ability to play a major role due to its international power and position.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
