Egypt stresses efforts to maintain ceasefire, rebuilding in Gaza

CAIRO, June 20 (KUNA) -- Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri on Sunday affirmed his country's continued efforts to consolidate the ceasefire and carry out reconstruction process in the besieged Gaza Strip.
In a statement the ministry said that this came during a meeting held between Shoukri and EU's Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process Sven Koopmans.
The aim of maintaining ceasefire is to achieve the desired stability and calm in the Strip, it added.
Shoukri stressed the importance of the presence of a real will and a propitiate climate to revive immediately the legal path of negotiations so as to establish an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the international legitimacy's resolutions so as to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the region.
He hoped that the EU would go on backing the Palestinian cause at all levels, in addition to cooperation between Egypt and the EU, in the next period to push the peace in the Middle East, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, Koopmans extolled Egypt's supportive role in the Middle East peace efforts ended with reaching a ceasefire in Gaza and endeavors to achieve the Palestinian reconciliation.
He looks forward to contenting coordination with Egypt to back the current endeavors to push ahead with the peace path.
In addition, he underlined the importance of the quartet's role in a manner that will contribute to achieving security and stability in the region in the next period. (end) rg.hm