Biden snubbing Bibi? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to receive a customary call from newly elected US President Joe Biden, an ally of Bibi’s said in a tweet (which seems to have since been deleted). This could point to Israel’s fall from grace after enjoying a close relationship with the Trump administration, the Financial Times reports.

IN DIPLOMACY: Bilateral relations with Iraq are still going strong this week, with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein meeting President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to discuss joint economic and trade cooperation according to an Ittihadiya statement. Hussein had met with Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly earlier this week to discuss projects that include 15 MoUs signed last November, and an “oil-for-reconstruction” mechanism that could see Egyptian companies work on development projects in Iraq in return for importing Iraqi oil.

Preparations for the UN’s climate change conference COP26 in November were the focus of a meeting between COP 26 President Alok Sharma and Madbouly, according to a cabinet statement. The prime minister stressed the importance of funding to enable developing countries to cut down on their carbon emissions. Egypt and the UK had launched a UN working group on climate change adaptation and resilience in June 2020, and had co-led a coalition of countries in the Climate Action Summit in September 2019.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry touched base on bilateral relations with Sudan’s newly appointed foreign minister Mariam Al Sadiq Al Mahdi yesterday.