President El-Sisi Receives Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received today Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in the presence of Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Sameh Shoukry and Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Cairo Mr. Osama bin Ahmed Naqli.

The Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency stated that President El-Sisi welcomed the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs. His Excellency asked the Saudi Minister to convey his greetings to His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. President El-Sisi wished His Majesty King Salman a speedy recovery and good health after the recent successful surgery he had undergone.

The President also praised the special strong Egyptian-Saudi relations. His Excellency stressed that Egypt is keen to develop close bilateral cooperation in furtherance of the interests of the brotherly peoples and the Arab nation.

For his part, Prince Faisal bin Farhan conveyed to President El-Sisi the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs further expressed the Saudi government and people’s pride for their strong historical ties and relationship with Egypt and its people in various fields. He also affirmed his deep appreciation of Egypt’s strategic and pivotal role under the leadership of President El-Sisi in protecting the Arab national security and defending the nation’s causes. The Minister also highlighted Egypt's tireless efforts and endeavors to establish security, stability and development at the regional and international levels, based on Egypt’s leverage and the pivotal role it plays on the international scene.

The Spokesman stated that the meeting also tackled various aspects of bilateral relations and consultation on developments on issues of mutual interest on the regional scene, especially Libya, Yemen, Syria and Iraq. It was agreed that arriving at political solutions would resolve these issues.

In this regard, President El-Sisi presented Egypt’s consistent stance on the Libyan issue and its endeavor to stabilize the current position, curb foreign interventions, and fight violence and extremist and terrorist groups. Restoring security and stability in Libya is Egypt’s ultimate goal together with helping Libya not become a base for terrorism, threatening African and regional security.

In this context, President El-Sisi stressed that the Arabs’ solidarity, unity and consistent positions are among the most effective means of warding off external risks from the Arab world as a whole.

On his part, the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that his country's position is consistent with the current Egyptian efforts aimed to settle various disputes in the region. He confirmed that both countries’ national security is interrelated and that Egypt will always remain the Kingdom’s central partner in the region.