{"id":658919,"date":"2025-01-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2025\/01\/19\/gaza-syria-ethiopia-and-subsidies-in-focus-as-badr-abdelatty-and-sherif-farouk-sat-down-with-the-nations-hosts\/"},"modified":"2025-01-19T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-19T00:00:00","slug":"gaza-syria-ethiopia-and-subsidies-in-focus-as-badr-abdelatty-and-sherif-farouk-sat-down-with-the-nations-hosts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/egypt\/2025\/01\/19\/gaza-syria-ethiopia-and-subsidies-in-focus-as-badr-abdelatty-and-sherif-farouk-sat-down-with-the-nations-hosts\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaza, Syria, Ethiopia, and subsidies in focus as Badr Abdelatty and Sherif Farouk sat down with the nation\u2019s hosts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Foreign Minister<\/strong> Badr Abdelatty and Supply Minister Sherif Farouk took to the airwaves<\/strong> yesterday<\/strong>, with the two ministers appearing on Ahmed Moussa\u2019s Ala Masouleety and Lamees El Hadidi\u2019s Kelma Akhira to talk Gaza, Syria, Ethiopia, subsidies and everything in between.<\/p>\n

\u201cEgypt is open to international or foreign forces in Gaza, provided there\u2019s a political<\/strong> roadmap with a clear timeline leading to a Palestinian state, <\/strong>Abdelatty\u2019s told Moussa in their conversation that spanned the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Gaza, Syria, and more (watch, runtime: 52:23<\/a>). The foreign minister added that \u201cdeployment must occur simultaneously in the West Bank and Gaza.\u201d He added that Egypt is working to host an international conference in Cairo to spearhead Gaza\u2019s reconstruction efforts, \u201cremoving rubble and enabling the Palestinian Authority to resume management of the Strip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEgypt maintains strategic partnerships with major global players without aligning <\/strong>against any side<\/strong>,\u201d Abdelatty said. While allied with different nations, the country follows a \u201cbalanced foreign policy grounded in strategic equilibrium and guided solely by national interest,\u201d Abdelatty added. <\/p>\n

\u201cEgypt has clean hands and no hidden agenda<\/strong>; it works solely for the common Arab interest and the interests of African peoples, aiming for security and development,\u201d Abdelatty said. On the Renaissance Dam, Abdelatty described water as \u201cthe most existential issue for Egypt and Sudan,\u201d calling for a binding legal agreement on its operation. \u201cMore than 13 years have been wasted without results due to a lack of political will on the other side,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

When asked about the possibility of Syria\u2019s division, Abdelatty was resolute<\/strong>, telling Moussa \u201cEgypt will not allow this catastrophic scenario to unfold,\u201d warning that such a precedent could pave the way for the division of other Arab nations.<\/p>\n

Over on Lamees El Hadidi\u2019s Kelma Akhira, subsidies topped the agenda<\/strong> with Supply Minister Sherif Farouk sitting down for an interview (watch runtime: 1:04:47<\/a>). \u201cThe shift to cash subsidies isn\u2019t being pushed by any international body \u2014 it\u2019s under serious review by the ministry, with input from all sides,\u201d the minister told El Hadidi.<\/p>\n

\u201cA 2025 rollout for cash-based subsidies isn\u2019t set in stone<\/strong>. If experts and societal dialogue conclude against it, it won\u2019t happen,\u201d Farouk said. \u201cThe goal isn\u2019t budget savings but fixing flaws in the current system, despite challenges like high inflation,\u201d Farouk explained, adding that the first phase could include 32\u201335 essential goods.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe current budget allocates EGP 135 bn for commodity subsidies <\/strong>\u2014 22% of total subsidy spending. That figure could rise by EGP 100 bn next year. We\u2019re overhauling the system to include the deserving and exclude the ineligible, with flexible, evolving criteria,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Other key highlights from the supply minister\u2019s remarks: <\/strong><\/p>\n