Ankara: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty arrived in Ankara this morning on an official visit to the Turkish capital. Sources at the Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will receive his Egyptian counterpart in Ankara later today before they co-chair the “First Meeting of the Turkish-Egyptian Joint Planning Group.”

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Fidan is scheduled to discuss with his Egyptian counterpart the agreements still under negotiation between Ankara and Cairo, in addition to bilateral relations in all their political, economic, trade, and military dimensions. Officials from relevant institutions in both countries will participate in the meeting, where preparations for the second meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council between Turkey and Egypt, scheduled to be held in Cairo under the chairmanship of the two countries’ leaders, will be discussed.

Fidan is expected to emphasize the need to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in various fields, including defense industries, transportation, regional connectivity, and energy, as well as encouraging mutual investments, within the framework of the shared goal of increasing trade volume to $15 billion.

The Gaza issue will also be on the agenda for the talks between the two ministers, who will discuss developments regarding the ceasefire agreement in the Strip, stressing the importance of its full implementation, in addition to discussing the post-ceasefire phase. Fidan is expected to emphasize that the Palestinian side is adhering to the terms of the ceasefire and managing the process responsibly despite Israeli violations, and to call on the international community to support efforts aimed at the reconstruction of Gaza, affirming that Turkey is ready to contribute to the reconstruction process.