Egypt, Saudi Arabia reject regional interference in Arab affairs
The Saudi-Egyptian Consultation Committee stressed on Tuesday the rejection of regional interference in Arab internal affairs and attempts to destabilize the security and stability of the region.
The final statement of the Follow-up and Political Consultation Committee between the two countries stressed the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation in the Gulf, Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea, and rejecting any attempt to affect the freedom of navigation there, as this constitutes a threat to regional security and stability.
The Saudi side affirmed its support for Egypt’s efforts towards reaching a binding agreement for all parties regarding GERD to preserve Egyptian water security, as it is an integral part of Arab water security, and to enhance the preservation of security and peace in the African continent, by entering into serious negotiations between the concerned parties, being the best solution to reach an agreement that satisfies all parties, and the importance of exerting good offices during the negotiation process.
The Egyptian side expressed its solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in all the measures it takes to protect its national security, and the Egyptian side affirmed its rejection of any attacks on the Kingdom’s lands, stressing that the security of the Kingdom and the Arab Gulf region is an integral part of Egypt’s national security.
The two sides also stressed the need to preserve the stability, unity, and territorial integrity of Libya, rejecting foreign interference in its affairs and attempts to destabilize the internal and regional conditions by supporting terrorism and extremism, and the two sides stressed their position in support of reaching a comprehensive political solution following what was agreed upon in the Berlin Summit and the Cairo Declaration issued in June and their support for rebuilding the Libyan state and its institutions.
To enhance economic cooperation between the two countries, they agreed on the necessity of removing obstacles that hinder the process of increasing trade and investment exchange between them, and the two sides expressed their complete satisfaction with the development of cooperation in all fields, with the importance of continuing bilateral coordination between experts to reach more aspects of cooperation and coordination between the two brotherly countries.
Also, the two sides stressed the importance of the Palestinian issue as the central issue of the Arab nation and stressed that a just and comprehensive solution requires the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international legitimacy decisions.
The repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic on the two brotherly countries, the region, and the world were also discussed, along with its health, economic, and social consequences.
It is noteworthy that the committee held its meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday, and the Saudi side was headed by Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Egyptian side was chaired by Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.
There were several meetings at the level of senior officials, in which the assistants of the foreign ministers from both sides took part and discussed several political issues of common interest in preparation for the meeting with the two foreign ministers.