Egypt to Reopen All Roads Around Foreign Embassies in Cairo

Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced that Egypt will remove all security barriers surrounding foreign embassies in Cairo and reopen the roads and pedestrian paths that have been restricted for nearly two decades. He made the announcement at a media event during the inaugural session of the Maspero Cultural Salon. The move follows earlier action to dismantle concrete blocks around the British embassy - an embassy that temporarily suspended operations before reopening days later - amidst diplomatic tensions triggered by the detention of an Egyptian national in London. Barriers had originally been installed around the British and American embassies in the Garden City district in 2003. Although a court order in 2011 called for their removal, they were reinstalled during periods of unrest. This decision follows mounting political pressure from residents and officials who viewed the barriers as a disruption to traffic and a symbol of preferential treatment. The government has framed the removal as part of a reciprocity policy, emphasising that future security arrangements will align with how Egyptian embassies are treated abroad.