Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri participated yesterday in the meeting of the fifth round of the Follow-up and Political Consultation Committee between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which was held at the foreign ministers level in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
Foreign Minister Shoukri held a closed meeting with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan before the start of the meeting of the Political Consultation Committee. The meeting was followed by an expanded consultation session that included the delegations of the two countries, during which all issues related to
bilateral relations, regional and international issues were discussed.
The two sides held an extensive and comprehensive dialogue on the developments of the Palestinian cause, the situations in Libya, Sudan and Yemen and the issue of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
They also discussed the developments in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and other regional issues, where the positions of the two sides converged in supporting efforts to achieve stability and peace in the region.
The consultations also included an exchange of views and assessment on the current international developments.
The two sides agreed on the importance of continuing to coordinate positions towards the current international crises to ensure the achievement of the common interests of the two countries and other Arab countries.
Following the consultations, a joint statement was issued covering all the issues that were discussed in the Political Consultation Committee.
The statement said that the two sides reviewed the distinguished bilateral relations between the two countries at
all levels and lauded the co-operation and coordination between the two sides in the political, economic, security and cultural fields, in a way that enhances the security and stability of the two brotherly countries and supports the interests of their peoples.
The consultations also confirmed the identity of views between the two countries regarding the issues and crises of the region and the world, in a way that emphasized the depth of the strategic relations that bind them. The joint statement stressed that the two countries have the political will to achieve stability in the region.
In light of the central role of the two states in their Arab and regional environment, the two sides discussed the situation in the region and stressed that Arab security is an indivisible whole. They also underscored the importance of joint Arab action and Arab solidarity to preserve Arab national security, given that its countries have capabilities that qualify them to shoulder this responsibility.
The two sides stressed their rejection of any attempts by regional parties to interfere in the internal affairs of Arab countries or threaten their stability or undermine the interests of their peoples, whether through ethnic and sectarian incitement or through terrorism and terrorist groups, or through expansionist perceptions that do not respect the sovereignty of states or the necessities of respecting good neighborliness.
They agreed to step up efforts to fight terrorist organisations in the region in all their forms.
The two sides also stressed the importance of the Palestinian cause as the central issue of the Arab nation. They noted that a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue 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 resolutions.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia welcomed the consensus reached by the parties to the transitional phase in Sudan and the signing of the framework agreement document. They also expressed their aspiration that this step contributes to achieving the expectations of the Sudanese people.
The statement also stressed the importance of supporting the stability of the political and security situation in Sudan, based on the firm conviction that stability and prosperity of Sudan is an integral part of the security and stability of both Saudi Arabia and Egypt in light of the geographical rapprochement between the two countries and Sudan..
