“In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful”

My brother, Your Excellency President William Ruto,

President of the Republic of Kenya,

I extend a warm welcome to you in your second home, Egypt.


This visit coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two brotherly countries, reflecting the importance and depth of the historical relations and ties between Egypt and Kenya, at both the official and popular levels.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This visit has provided the opportunity to hold constructive bilateral discussions with my brother, His Excellency President Ruto, during which we reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to further enhancing and developing our bilateral relations, elevating them to the level of a comprehensive and strategic partnership, opening the door for further collaboration in all fields.


 Those include in particular the areas of defense and security, combating terrorism, water issues, culture and education, exchanging expertise, and capacity building.

During these discussions, I emphasized the significance of strengthening economic ties, stimulating trade between our countries, and fostering investment cooperation.


 
This will involve supporting Egyptian companies’ presence in Kenyan markets, particularly in sectors of mutual interest, where Egyptian companies have established expertise and comparative advantages, focusing on Kenya’s priority areas.

 
Those include infrastructure, health, agriculture, and irrigation, as well as continuing joint efforts to build Kenyan capacities in various fields.

His Excellency President Ruto, and I also agreed to further strengthen political dialogue and coordination on priority issues, whether at the regional level or with regard to our joint African action under the umbrella of the African Union.


This is mainly in areas of regional integration, promoting regional peace and security, implementing the 2063 Development Agenda, institutional reform, and advancing African priorities on the international agenda.

Dear attendees,

I discussed with His Excellency President Ruto the latest developments related to the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.

We concurred on the severity of the security threats facing the Red Sea region, which could expand the scope of the conflict and affect the major and active role of countries bordering the Red Sea countries in managing their own affairs. This situation is inextricably linked to the Israeli aggression on Gaza, which is a major cause of these security threats.

Therefore, we emphasized the imperative of the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, which was reached after strenuous Egyptian efforts, in partnership with our partners in Qatar and the United States.

 
We also underscored the critical need to allow the full humanitarian access for the Palestinians in Gaza, to end the catastrophic humanitarian situation, and to begin a serious political process for a sustainable settlement of the Palestinian issue, through the establishment of a Palestinian State, along the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Let me reiterate here the fundamental tenets of Egypt’s historical position concerning the Palestinian issue. Neutrality or compromise on these constants is utterly unthinkable, simply beyond contemplation.


 When I refer to fundamentals, I mean the basic principles upon which this position is established. These undoubtedly include the establishment of a Palestinian State and the preservation of its constituent elements, in particular, its people and territory.

Regarding the ongoing discussion surrounding the potential displacement of the Palestinians, I want to make it unequivocally clear to the Egyptian people: we will absolutely not tolerate or accept any infringement upon Egypt’s national security.

And I want to assure you that we are committed to working with U.S. President Trump, who seeks to achieve peace to reach the desired peace which is based on the two-state solution.

 We believe that President Trump is capable of achieving this long-awaited goal of establishing just and enduring peace in the Middle East region.

For the past 15 months, we have consistently argued that the events unfolding since October 7th until now are a direct result of decades of failure to resolve the Palestinian issue. The root causes of the problem have never been addressed.

The unresolved Palestinian issue fuels a recurring cycle of violence, culminating in situations like the one we are seeing, or have seen before, in the Gaza Strip.

Therefore, the solution to this issue is the two-state solution, the establishment of a Palestinian state. These are historical, unalienable rights.

This is not merely my opinion; we must take into account the public opinion, not just Arab or Egyptian, but global public opinion, which acknowledges that the Palestinian people have suffered a historical injustice over the past seventy years.


They believe that the solution is not to displace the Palestinians; rather, it is a two-state solution where both Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in security and peace.

My second point concerns the return of Palestinians to their homes after 14 months of relentless destruction. Thousands are returning, why are they going back and to what? After 14 months of devastation, only rubble awaits them.


In Egypt, we have warned at the beginning of the crisis that what was happening was an attempt to render the Gaza Strip uninhabitable, paving the way for the displacement of the Palestinians. Back then in October, we told every official we met that this crisis is fueled not only by violence and counter-violence, but it is the result of diminishing hope for a solution, for a Palestinian state for the Palestinian people.

How can I explain this to the Egyptian public opinion? Let alone the wider Arab or international public opinion. What do I say if asked about rumors of Palestinian displacement to Egypt? I imagine that the theoretical assumption of this means destabilizing Egyptian national security as well as Arab national security in our region. It is very important for people to know that there is a nation that has a position on this matter.


Whether I am here or not, the Palestinians suffered a historical injustice with their previous displacement, their failure to return to their homes and the broken promise of eventual return after reconstruction. Will this happen again? I don't think so.

If I ask the Egyptian people about this matter, they would say no, do not participate in injustice. I state it unequivocally: the displacement of the Palestinian people from their place is an injustice. We cannot participate in this unjust displacement of Palestinian.

Ladies and gentlemen,                                                          

I also reviewed with His Excellency President Ruto the situation in Sudan. We exchanged views on ways to end the ongoing conflict and affirmed the importance of persistent joint efforts by Egypt and Kenya to find serious solutions to the crisis.

This solution shall put an end to the humanitarian suffering of the Sudanese people, paving the way for a political dialogue to meet the aspirations and hopes of the Sudanese people for security and stability.

I also discussed with my brother, His Excellency President Ruto, the latest developments regarding the Nile River dossier.


I confirmed the delicate situation of Egypt which suffers from a severe water scarcity, and emphasized our full support for the legitimate developmental needs of Nile Basin countries, which requires positive coordination among us to ensure that no party is harmed.

We agreed that the Nile River holds great potential for development opportunities for all its riparian countries, provided there is mutual agreement and sincere cooperation in accordance with the relevant international legal principles.

Your Excellency President William Ruto,

It was a pleasure to meet with you today, and I look forward to even closer cooperation between our two countries, to serve the interests of our two brotherly peoples.


I wish the Kenyan people prosperity and stability under your wise leadership, and once again I extend my warm welcome to you in your second home, Egypt.

Thank you very much.

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