On February 12 – 13, 2014 First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah Sisi and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt Nabil Fahmy visited Moscow.
They conducted separate meetings as well as negotiations in “2+2” format with Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergey Shoigu and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov.
Abdel Fattah Sisi and Nabil Fahmy were also received by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.
In the course of consultations the Ministers discussed in details the prospects of comprehensive development of Russian – Egyptian relations, including the issues of accelerating the activities of the Joint Russian – Egyptian Commission on trade and economic cooperation and agreed that its next meeting will be held in Moscow on March 28, 2014 stressing the necessity of thorough preparation for this important bilateral event.
They decided to speed up the preparatory work on the intergovernmental agreements on military and military-technical cooperation.
The Ministers confirmed the aspirations of both sides to consolidate bilateral ties in the fields of culture, science and education.
The Ministers also discussed the vital regional and international problems.
They supported the legitimate aspirations of the people of the MENA region for a better life, broad political, economic and social rights, taking into consideration historical and civilizational uniqueness of each country and the necessity to observe the universally recognized human rights.
The Ministers reaffirmed their respect for the principle of state sovereignty and condemned foreign intervention in the internal affairs of any state, and called for resolving outstanding issues and crisis situations exclusively by peaceful means through broad inclusive dialogue.
The Ministers condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, irrespective of its motivations, and underlined that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, culture or ethnic group.
The Ministers agreed about the necessity to fight terrorism, piracy, organized crime, drugs trafficking and illegal migration.
The Ministers expressed their deep concern over continuous violence and instability in Syria that resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries and increasing numbers of displaced people and refugees in addition to the vast destruction of the infrastructure and vital Syrian institutions. They reaffirmed their total respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and rejection of any foreign intervention in its affairs and affirmed the right of the Syrian people to live in freedom, stability, security and prosperity.
The Ministers supported the political settlement of the conflict started at the “Geneva-2” International conference on Syria in Montreux on January 22, 2014 through direct negotiations between the Syrian sides aimed at the full implementation of the Geneva communiqué of 30 June 2012 and the relevant provisions of the UNSC resolution 2118
and stressed the need to continue efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis providing an opportunity for all Syrians to live together in peace and security in accordance with all democratic principles ensuring human rights and social justice.
They reiterated their determination to support successful conclusion of the process of chemical disarmament of Syria in accordance with UNSC resolution 2118 and decisions of the OPCW Executive Council.
They called upon the parties of the conflict to ensure the delivery of the humanitarian aid to the suffering Syrian people in accordance with the principles of international humanitarian law and building upon the Security Council Presidential Statement of October 2, 2013.
In the context of discussion on regional issues, the Ministers welcomed the resumption of efforts of negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis on July 29, 2013 and the support provided to this process by the US Secretary of State John Kerry.
They also noted valuable contribution of the Quartet. They agreed that the end of the occupation on the basis of the 1967 lines, including East Jerusalem, and the establishment of a contiguous, viable and sovereign Palestinian state is of paramount importance and would contribute to the region’s security, eliminate a major source of instability and create a favorable environment for growth, prosperity and cooperation between its peoples.
They stressed that resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict should not be overshadowed by any other regional developments.
The Ministers reiterated their commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to this conflict upon the recognized principles and provisions of the international legal framework, including the Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, the Madrid Principles, the Road Map, the Arab Peace Initiative.
They called upon parties to pursue the negotiations in good faith and to avoid any unilateral action. In this context they expressed their deep concern at the illegal settlement activities carried out by Israel in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem.
The Ministers reaffirmed their support for integrity and sovereignty of Libya and for the efforts of the Libyan leadership aimed at establishing stable and democratic state through a continued political process.
The ministers welcomed the adoption of the constitution and the formation of the new government in Tunisia.
Ministers expressed their deep concern over the attempts of extremists to destabilize situation in Iraq, which has widespread regional implications, including the ongoing armed conflict in Syria.
Ministers urged the international community to demonstrate its utmost support to the measures taken by the Iraqi authorities in combating terrorism and encourage Iraqi political forces to search for mutually acceptable outcomes.
The Ministers expressed their support to the political process in Yemen on the basis of the Riyadh agreements on peaceful transfer of power.
In this respect Ministers stressed the particular importance of the decisions adopted by the National Dialogue Conference concerning the most significant socio-economic and political issues which the Yemeni society faces today.
The Ministers stressed critical importance of full implementation of security and economic agreements between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan as a key step towards stable and prosperous future for both nations as well as the need for continued hard work aimed at assisting the two states in their efforts to reach the solution of all disputed issues including the Abyei Area.
They also confirmed the need to continue consolidated efforts for reaching peace and stability on the basis of the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement.
The Ministers also discussed the issue of water use in the Nile basin, and stressed the importance of cooperation between the Nile countries for the realization of their developmental interests, while at the same time showing respect to international law governing the use of rivers by all countries of the basin.
The Ministers stressed the need to continue efforts to transform the Middle East into a zone free from weapons of mass destruction and means of their delivery, as proposed by Egypt in April 1990 and in accordance with the mandate agreed upon at the 2010 NPT Review Conference and reaffirm the importance of convening the Conference, originally scheduled for 2012, towards the realization of these objectives.
The Ministers agreed that Russia and Egypt will cooperate closely in achieving these goals and coordinate their efforts both bilaterally and in the context of Russia – LAS strategic dialogue.