“Stability in the Middle East,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty, setting the theme for a keynote address on food security at the G7 ministerial meeting in Paris on Tuesday.
He warned that geopolitical tensions, conflicts, disruptions to global supply chains, and climate change are driving up food prices and placing mounting pressure on developing countries.
Participating in the session were the foreign ministers of France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, and Japan, in addition to the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and South Korea.
He stressed the necessity of ensuring the regular flow of food commodities and agricultural inputs while safeguarding freedom of navigation through vital maritime routes. He rejected the use of food as a weapon or a means of political pressure in conflicts and called for the protection of civilians and agricultural facilities.
Addressing the broader regional environment, Abdelatty asserted that political solutions, dialogue, and diplomacy remain the only viable path forward, ruling out military options. He specifically pointed to the catastrophic situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, citing Israel’s restrictions on the entry of aid into Gaza and settler violence in the West Bank.
Abdelatty highlighted the upgrading of Egyptian-French relations to a “strategic partnership” in 2025, calling for deeper cooperation across political, military, economic, and cultural fields. The ministers also discussed the risk of renewed military escalation in the region.
During talks with Director General of the French Development Agency (AFD) Christophe Lecourtier, Abdelatty praised the strategic partnership between Egypt and the AFD over the past two decades, reviewing 2026 progress across projects in transport, energy, green industry, healthcare, housing, and infrastructure. In a separate meeting with President of the Arab World Institute (IMA) Anne-Claire Legendre, Abdelatty discussed expanding bilateral cultural exchanges and artistic dialogue.
He expressed Egypt’s interest in hosting a global hub for grain storage, supply, and trading, citing the country’s strategic location and logistics infrastructure. Egypt’s support for a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine war was reaffirmed by Abdelatty, who characterized the current negotiations in Abu Dhabi as a chance to promote progress toward concluding the hostilities.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, noting its direct impact on grain supplies to Egypt and other African countries.
In a session with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, Abdelatty explored ways to enhance trade, investment, and economic relations, while also considering how Egypt and Canada might engage in trilateral partnerships with African nations focused on infrastructure, renewable energy, capacity building, and healthcare.
The conversation also covered the situation in Gaza and the progress toward launching the second phase of the peace proposal, as well as concerns regarding Iran-related tensions and the potential for a wider military conflict.
Regarding regional stability, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s support for the unity and territorial integrity of Sudan, condemning drone attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure and calling for a Sudanese-led political process.
Cairo’s commitment to utilizing political and diplomatic channels to bring back security and stability to Yemen was also restated by him. He affirmed Egypt’s readiness to contribute to regional food security by utilizing its strategic location, ports, and food-processing capabilities to support global trade flows.