CAIRO, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Thursday that Egypt "has never" used the issue of refugees to achieve political objectives.
Sisi made the remarks during his meeting in Cairo with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.
During the meeting, Sisi reviewed Egypt's efforts to host more than 10.5 million foreigners, migrants, and refugees from various nationalities, affirming the country's commitment to providing them with basic services within its capacity, while ensuring respect for Egypt's laws and international obligations, according to the statement.
Sisi stressed the importance of activating the principle of burden and responsibility sharing, increasing international support to Egypt, and supporting the new national framework currently being finalized to address asylum issues.
The Egyptian president further called for adopting a comprehensive approach to addressing asylum-seeking and displacement by tackling their root causes, including political and security crises and economic challenges.
For his part, Salih stressed the need to bolster international support commensurate with the scale of these efforts, noting that Egypt is bearing immense burdens and that there must be genuine support and active burden-sharing for hosting foreigners, migrants, and refugees.
He welcomed the steps Egypt has taken to launch the new national asylum system, commending the establishment of the Standing Committee for Refugee Affairs and affirming readiness to provide all necessary support for these efforts.
Also on Thursday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with visiting Christophe Bigot, European Union (EU) Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, to address the Palestinian cause and regional stability.
According to an official ministry statement, Abdelatty emphasized the critical need to refocus global diplomatic attention on the Palestinian issue, including securing a sustainable flow of aid into the Gaza Strip and establishing the necessary conditions for early recovery and reconstruction.
The two officials reviewed ongoing operational steps to enable the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to effectively assume its administrative and civil duties directly from within the enclave.
Turning to developments in the West Bank, he reiterated Cairo's firm condemnation of continued Israeli settlement expansion, settler violence, and unilateral actions aimed at altering the legal and historical status of East Jerusalem.
Bigot reaffirmed the EU's rejection of settlement activities and any unilateral measures that threaten to undermine the viability of a two-state solution.
He emphasized the importance of adhering to international law and working toward immediate de-escalation, affirming the EU's commitment to maintaining close coordination with Cairo to achieve a just and comprehensive peace. ■
