Wednesday, 27 May 2026
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Egypt and Russia urge urgent de-escalation in Middle East during high-level talks
Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdelatty held a telephone discussion on Tuesday with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in a concerted effort to address the escalating military conflict between Israel and Iran.
The call was made in line with directives from Egypt’s President to intensify international communications and mediation work to promote de-escalation across the region.
According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ambassador Tamim Khalaf, the ministers reviewed ways to further strengthen Egyptian-Russian relations, particularly in economic, commercial, and investment sectors. Both sides expressed appreciation for the current level of cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing bilateral ties, including through increased exchange of visits and mutual collaboration for the benefit of both peoples.
The conversation also focused on recent regional developments, highlighting deep concern over the worsening security situation and its serious implications for the stability of the entire Middle East. Both ministers underscored the urgent need to de-escalate tensions and pursue political and diplomatic solutions, emphasizing that the current crisis cannot be resolved through military means.
They also discussed ongoing presidential-level engagements by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin with other world leaders, aimed at brokering a ceasefire and returning all parties to the negotiating table. These diplomatic efforts, they agreed, are vital to preventing the conflict from spreading to neighbouring countries and destabilizing the wider region.
Minister Lavrov praised a joint statement issued the previous day by 23 Arab and Islamic nations at Egypt’s initiative, which called strongly for a ceasefire and a return to negotiations as the only sustainable route to a long-term agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme.
The two ministers also exchanged updates on their recent diplomatic engagements with officials throughout the Middle East and the United States, all aimed at reducing tensions.
This phone conversation, diplomats said, reflected a strong consensus between Egypt and Russia on the need to contain the spiralling crisis and to prevent further instability in the Middle East through renewed dialogue and negotiation.