Egypt FM, Saudi counterpart discuss fight against terrorism

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed combating terrorism and dealing with regional supporters of terrorist organisations during talks with his Saudi counterpart Adel Al-Jubeir in Cairo on Tuesday.

Shoukry urged “coordination between the two countries in the face of the dangers besetting the Arab region, namely external interference in Arab affairs and the aggravation of…terrorism and extremist ideology,” a statement by Egypt’s foreign ministry said.

The Egyptian minister also called for working to “dry up sources of funding for terrorist groups and dealing with regional parties supporting them,” the statement added, without elaborating.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE severed diplomatic and transport links with Doha in June 2017, accusing the oil-rich state of supporting terrorism and meddling in their internal affairs, sparking the region’s worst diplomatic dispute in years. Doha denies that charge leveled against it and says the boycott is an attempt to curtail its sovereignty.

The duo also talked about the crises in Syria and Yemen and thawing relations across the Horn of Africa, following Eritrea’s rapprochement with Ethiopia, the statement said

Saudi state news agency SPA said the two leaders discussed “bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields.”

The meeting was held on the sidelines of an Arab League meeting convened to drum up support for the UN agency that helps Palestinian refugees after a shortfall caused by a US aid cutoff.

Shoukry also met Tuesday with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Sabah. The pair discussed “promoting joint Arab action, confronting external interference in Arab affairs, and ways to unite Arabs,” the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a separate statement.

The Egyptian minister held bilateral talks earlier on the day with Jordanian and Iraqi counterparts where the officials discussed mutual cooperation and regional issues.

Source: Ahram Online