Following the announcement, the spokesperson for the Egyptian foreign ministry Ahmed Abo Zeid said Egypt will work “vigorously” to defend and support African and Arab priorities at the Security Council.
"Through UNSC membership, Egypt will strive to support and promote peace and security across the globe and uphold the principles of the UN charter," Abo Zeid added.
Senegal won the other seat allocated for the African group with 187 votes.
For months the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs worked on securing the votes of UN member states in return for Egypt's vote and support in their aim to secure seats in other UN councils and organisations.
Ambassador Hisham Badr, the FM assistant for international security, told Reuters' Aswat Masriya that he had expected Egypt would gain Security Council membership after securing the support of the League of Arab States countries, the Islamic Cooperation Organisation members, as well as several African countries including Nigeria and South Africa.
Egypt has been a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council four times; in 1949-1950, 1961-1962, 1984 and 1996-1997.
In 1961-1962, Egypt supported the independence of African countries and abstained from voting on decisions supporting Israel, and in 1984 it supported the council's efforts to end Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.
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