Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani discussed efforts to contain escalating regional tensions and strengthen bilateral ties during a phone call on Wednesday, as Cairo pushed for renewed diplomacy on Gaza, Lebanon, and US-Iran negotiations, the foreign ministry said.
The call between Abdelatty and Tajani, Italy’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, focused on Egypt’s recent diplomatic efforts with regional and international partners to reduce tensions across the Middle East and advance political solutions to ongoing conflicts.
Abdelatty stressed the importance of supporting the ongoing US-Iran negotiations and maintaining diplomatic channels to reach broader understandings that could help secure a ceasefire, end the war, and ease regional instability, according to the ministry.
The Egyptian minister also warned that the current regional escalation should not overshadow efforts to implement the second phase of the US president’s Gaza plan, including the deployment of an international stabilization force, ensuring unrestricted humanitarian aid access, and launching early recovery and reconstruction programmes in the Gaza Strip.
On Lebanon, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s support for Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, while calling for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the comprehensive implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
The two ministers also reviewed Egyptian-Italian relations, with Abdelatty praising the “distinguished” ties between the two countries and expressing Cairo’s interest in expanding economic, investment, and trade cooperation.
Tajani, for his part, praised Egypt’s “constructive role” in regional de-escalation efforts, and both sides agreed to maintain close coordination and consultation amid mounting regional tensions.
Egypt and Italy have significantly expanded cooperation in recent years across energy, migration, trade, and regional security, with both countries increasingly positioning their partnership within Italy’s broader “Mattei Plan for Africa” and the EU’s strategic engagement with Cairo.
Energy remains the cornerstone of bilateral ties, led by Italian energy giant ENI, one of the largest foreign investors in Egypt and the operator behind the giant Zohr gas field discovered in 2015.
In April 2025, ENI announced plans to invest around 8 billion euros in Egypt over four years as part of a wider 24 billion euro North Africa investment strategy aimed at boosting regional energy production and supporting Europe’s energy security.
The two countries have also deepened coordination on renewable energy, infrastructure, vocational training, sustainable agriculture, and migration management under Italy’s Mattei Plan, which was launched in 2024 to strengthen Rome’s long-term economic and political partnerships across Africa. Egypt is considered one of the plan’s key partner countries.
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