Egypt - Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani held a phone conversation on Sunday to exchange views on various bilateral and regional issues, in light of the strong relations between Egypt and Italy.

According to the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Abou Zeid, the two ministers explored ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the economic and investment fields and to address the common situations and challenges in the Mediterranean region, especially the issue of illegal migration across the sea.

Minister Shoukry also briefed Minister Tajani on the latest developments regarding the crisis in Niger and the efforts to resolve it diplomatically, while preserving the security and stability of Niger and the region. Additionally, the two ministers discussed the situation in Libya, where Minister Shoukry explained Egypt’s vision on the political and security developments and the ways to support the Libyan tracks and solutions that ensure the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections as soon as possible. The two ministers agreed to continue their close consultations in the next period and to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York next September.

On another note, Minister Shoukry met on Sunday with Ambassador Ismail Khairat, Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs, Egyptians abroad, and officials of the consular sector at the ministry, to follow up on the progress of consular work and discuss ways to improve consular services for citizens at home and abroad.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the meeting reviewed the development of the electronic platform that aims to speed up and enhance the quality of consular services, activate the digitization of all consular services using modern technology, and strengthen the ties between Egyptian citizens abroad with their homeland.

The meeting also discussed the procedure for granting visas to foreigners and emphasized providing facilities while adhering to all established considerations and rules. During the meeting, the foreign minister listened to a detailed presentation of the measures taken to implement the initiative to resolve the enlistment situation of Egyptians abroad and the process of receiving applications on the website dedicated to the initiative. The meeting also presented the measures taken to develop and improve the performance of ratification offices across the country.

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