Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov discussed in a phone call on Friday ways to enhance bilateral relations and reviewed a number of regional issues of interest. According to an official statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, both ministers stressed the importance of continuing to promote coordination and boost bilateral relations, particularly at the economic level. According to a report carried by TAAS, the Russian news agency, both ministers discussed the implementation of projects to build the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant and a Russian industrial zone in Egypt. "During the conversation, the ministers discussed the current state of affairs and perspectives for further strengthening of the diverse cooperation between Russia and Egypt, as stipulated by the Treaty on comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, signed in 2018," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement carried by TAAS. "Special attention was paid to the implementation of large-scale projects in the area of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, namely the construction of the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant and the creation of the Russian industrial zone in Egypt," the statement added. Shoukry and Lavrov also discussed the situation in Libya, noting the need to ensure an inclusive national dialogue in the country and reaffirming their commitment to the peaceful settlement of the internal conflict in line with decisions made during the international conference in Berlin and provisions of UN Security Council resolution, according to TAAS. While addressing the situation in Syria, the ministers also confirmed the need to ensure the right of the people of Syria to determine their country's future, as envisaged by the UN Security Council resolution. Besides, the two top diplomats reaffirmed the need to consolidate international efforts for restarting direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, with the ultimate goal of achieving all-encompassing peace in the Middle East.
