Arab officials hold bilateral talks on Palestine, regional ties at Oslo Forum

By Fekry Abdeen and Rania Abu Shamala

CAIRO/ISTANBUL (AA) - Arab officials met Wednesday to discuss bilateral relations and developments in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The meetings took place on the sidelines of the annual Oslo Forum for Peace, which opened Wednesday in the Norwegian capital with wide international participation.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud and his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdelatty reviewed relations between their two countries, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

They also discussed developments in the region, foremost among them the latest in Gaza and the West Bank, and ongoing efforts related to these issues.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the two ministers addressed "efforts to de-escalate and establish a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip."

They also exchanged views on preparations for the upcoming UN conference on the two-state solution to take place from June 17-20 in New York amid the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and reaffirmed their "firm rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from their land.

The discussions also covered developments in Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, the Horn of Africa, the Yemeni crisis and Red Sea maritime security.

In another meeting in Oslo, Abdelatty and Somali National Security Advisor Hussein Sheikh-Ali explored ways to strengthen bilateral ties.

The Egyptian foreign minister emphasized the importance of enhancing trade and investment relations between the two countries, according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

He also confirmed Egypt’s readiness to "contribute to the African Union mission to support stability in Somalia as soon as possible."

Trilateral talks were also held among Abdelatty, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, according to a statement by Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Abdelatty stressed Egypt’s priority of achieving de-escalation and preventing further tensions in the region, emphasizing that "military solutions have no place in resolving regional crises."

He expressed Egypt’s support for the negotiation track between Washington and Tehran regarding the Iranian nuclear file.

According to the statement, Abdelatty listened to the assessments of his Iranian and Omani counterparts concerning the US-Iran talks and welcomed the commitment of both sides to continuing dialogue through diplomatic channels.

He also praised “Oman’s mediation efforts” in facilitating the discussions.

The Egyptian minister expressed his country’s support for “diplomatic initiatives aimed at reaching consensual solutions that help bridge viewpoints, reduce regional tensions and support regional security and stability.”

Also on the sidelines of the forum, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud met with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the two ministers discussed bilateral relations and reviewed the latest regional and international developments.

Separately, the Egyptian and Syrian foreign ministers, Badr Abdelatty and Asaad al-Shaibani, reviewed a number of issues of mutual interest and ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries, according to Syria’s official news agency SANA.

Both sides stressed "the importance of continued consultation and exchange of views on regional challenges in order to strengthen security, stability and support efforts aimed at achieving comprehensive development."

In another meeting, Syrian Foreign Minister Shaibani and Qatari Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi discussed developing areas of joint cooperation, including issues related to chemical weapons and energy, according to SANA.