Qatar visit reflects momentum in bilateral ties, mutual desire to support Arab action: Sisi

Ahram Online , Wednesday 14 Sep 2022

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said his two-day visit to Qatar, which ended on Wednesday, reflects the recent push in bilateral relations and the two countries’ mutual desire to support Arab solidarity.

Egypt s president


In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA) today, El-Sisi said his visit reflects both countries’ desire to enhance their relations on various levels and the two sides’ keenness to activate joint Arab action to maintain regional security and stability.

El-Sisi said maintaining regional security is critical in light of the instability on the regional and international levels, which requires concerted cooperation and coordination between Egypt and Qatar.

The president made the remarks on the sidelines of his visit to Doha – his first since assuming the presidency in 2014 – upon the invitation of the Qatari leader.

During the visit, El-Sisi held talks with Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during which they affirmed their openness to deepening bilateral relations in various fields.

El-Sisi’s visit is a culmination of the intensive discussions held recently between the two countries with the aim of strengthening bilateral cooperation on all levels, the Egyptian presidency has said.

The two sides have held seven rounds of negotiations over the past year within the framework of the Egyptian-Qatari follow-up committee to boost their bilateral relations in the wake of Al-Ula Declaration signed between Qatar, Egypt, and Gulf countries in January 2021.

The Al-Ula reconciliation deal ended a more than three-year rift between Qatar and the quartet of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, and paved the way for a new era of bilateral relations between the four countries and Doha.

In June, Emir Tamim visited Egypt for the first time since the reconciliation agreement was signed.

Egyptian-Qatari cooperation

El-Sisi said that Egypt and Qatar have recently planned a number of ideas and initiatives, which will hopefully be implemented as projects and investments on the ground in many fields.

This includes initiatives in natural gas and renewable energy, including green hydrogen and the petrochemical industry, the president noted.

This is in addition to boosting cooperation between the sovereign funds of both Egypt and Qatar, he added.

Cooperation in the economy and investments is one of the most promising areas of cooperation between the two countries, El-Sisi said.

The president shed light on cooperation between the two countries in agricultural projects amid the global grain crisis and disruption in food supply chains.

El-Sisi also expressed aspiration for further cooperation with Doha to strengthen Qatari efforts to ensure stability and achieve development and security in Africa.

This comes in light of the recent Qatari mediation in the national dialogue between the transitional regime and armed opposition groups in Chad, QNA said.

Restoring Arab solidarity

The president spoke about the upcoming Arab League summit, slated for early November in Algeria, saying it comes at a sensitive time for Arab nations amid crises, tensions, and the spread of terrorism.

In this regard, the president highlighted the necessity of committing to the concept of the nation state, safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries and "not dealing in any way" with terrorist groups and armed militias.

The president also called for supporting the national armies and military institutions of the Arab states, preventing external interference in countries’ domestic affairs, and boosting the powers of central institutions to prevent other forces from undermining Arab countries’ capabilities.

During the interview, El-Sisi also congratulated Qatar on hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the first-of-its-kind to be held in the Arab world, and said he hopes the event will pave the way for the region to host further international sporting events.

El-Sisi expressed his belief in Qatar's capability in organising a unique World Cup that suits the Arab nation.

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