Sisi, Bin Zayed discuss fighting terrorism, Syrian crisis

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohamed Bin Zayed, stressed the necessity to fight terrorism and extremism during their talks in the UAE on Tuesday, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

“Both leaders also discussed the crises in Yemen, Syria and Libya, and possible solutions,” the statement read.

Emirati news agency WAM said that the leaders discussed “resolving the Syrian crisis through cooperating with international and regional powers through political solutions which secures the unity of the Syrian state and the stability of its state institutions.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously told his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, that Egypt would be at the forefront of international meetings over the Syrian crisis.

El-Sisi has already said he believes a political solution is necessary to end the country’s civil war.

Saudi Arabia, a key ally of Egypt that has propped up Cairo economically, has insisted Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad must go.

The UAE has also provided billions of dollars in aid and financial assistance to Egypt since the July 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Following his visit to the UAE, El-Sisi will fly to India for the third India Africa Forum Summit, state news agency MENA said. The meeting will bring together 40 African countries to discuss means of developing economic cooperation between India and the African continent countries.

He will later head to Bahrain where he will hold talks with King Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa to address bilateral ties and developments in the region.

source: Ahram Online