Egyptian Defense Approves 'All Forms of Support' for Saudi Arabia
The Egyptian National Defense Council decided to provide all forms of support to Saudi Arabia, while the parliament discussed regional developments.
Translated by Qiyas from النهار — Original source
Cairo (Agencies): The Egyptian National Defense Council decided yesterday to provide all necessary and feasible forms of support to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to defend its security and stability, safeguard its resources, protect its territorial integrity, and preserve Islamic holy sites. This decision came during a meeting of the National Defense Council, chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to discuss current regional developments and the serious escalation witnessed in the region, particularly in light of the unacceptable attacks targeting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Egyptian Presidency stated in a press release that the National Defense Council decided “to stand fully and show complete solidarity with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, based on the historical ties and strong bonds linking the peoples of the two brotherly countries, considered the heart of the Arab nation, and in recognition of the interconnection between Saudi national security and Egyptian and Arab national security.” The council also decided to continue and intensify political and diplomatic efforts, in coordination with relevant regional and international parties, to contribute to de-escalation across the region and the peaceful resolution of the crises affecting the area.
The Egyptian National Defense Council’s decisions to support and back Saudi Arabia came as the Egyptian parliament held an emergency general session yesterday afternoon to discuss regional developments and Egypt’s stance on protecting the security and stability of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, on Saturday, President el-Sisi called on the House of Representatives to convene an emergency session to authorize him to undertake any intervention requested by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stating that Egypt would implement any measures to protect and defend Saudi Arabia, in accordance with the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
During his speech at a ceremony marking the graduation of military academy students, el-Sisi expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Gulf brotherly nations, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for their support of Egypt following the events of 2013. He emphasized that their support, including the provision of gas and oil tankers, was given without expectation of return, and that Egypt would have faced an uncertain path had it not been for their stance.
He stressed that targeting Saudi Arabia affects Arab and Egyptian national security, reiterating Egypt’s rejection of any threat to the security of the Red Sea and international maritime passages. He affirmed that Egypt’s primary concern is preserving the security and stability of Saudi Arabia and de-escalating tensions.
