Egypt and Oman reject any attempts to impose restrictions on navigation in international waterways
Cairo, July 23 (KUNA) -- Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Badr Abdelatty and his Omani counterpart Badr Al Busaidi on Thursday reaffirmed their rejection of any attempts to impose restrictions on navigation in international waterways, citing the negative repercussions such actions would have on the global economy and energy security.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates stated in a press release that this position was expressed during a meeting between the two ministers on the sidelines of the 59th meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers and related meetings held in Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
The statement noted that the meeting discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations, as well as consultation and coordination regarding regional developments, foremost among which are maritime security and the situations in Gaza and Yemen. Both ministers emphasized the importance of continuing cooperation on various regional issues to support security and stability in the region.
They agreed on the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law, and the necessity of ensuring the safety and security of international navigation without obstructing the movement of ships. They also reiterated their condemnation of repeated Iranian attacks targeting Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
According to the statement, Minister Abdelatty outlined Egypt’s strenuous efforts to de-escalate tensions and bridge differences among all parties, reaffirming his country’s full solidarity with the Gulf states and Jordan. He stressed that the repeated attacks constitute a blatant violation of state sovereignty and a serious threat to the security and stability of the region, calling for an immediate halt to all escalatory actions and practices that could inflame tensions, expand the scope of escalation in the region, or threaten the security of Arab countries.
Regarding bilateral relations, Minister Abdelatty praised the outcomes of the successful bilateral visit by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to the Sultanate of Oman last May, reiterating the commitment to further enhancing bilateral relations across various political, economic, commercial, and investment fields, and the convening of the 17th session of the Joint Committee. (End) A.F.F / F.L.A
