Cairo Rejects Targeting Saudi Territory... Ready to Provide All Forms of Support

In the context of political and diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and contain current hostilities, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty affirmed that “the security of the Gulf Arab states constitutes an inseparable part of Egypt’s national security,” adding that his country “attaches the utmost importance to the security and stability of the sister Gulf states, based on the historic fraternal ties binding both sides.”

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement on Tuesday that Abdelatty met with Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Al-Budaiwi on the sidelines of their participation in the autumn meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Bangkok. During the meeting, they emphasized “the depth of the historic and fraternal relations between Egypt and the GCC states.”

Both parties stressed “the importance of intensifying joint Arab action and enhancing coordination and consultation mechanisms to confront challenges threatening the security and stability of the region, while reaffirming the necessity of respecting the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of states, and prioritizing political and diplomatic solutions to resolve regional crises.”

Abdelatty and Al-Budaiwi expressed their aspiration to “hold the second session of the Egyptian-GCC Investment and Trade Forum in the city of Alamein, which will contribute to strengthening economic and trade relations and encouraging mutual investments in the energy sector, in light of the challenges posed by developments in the region, thereby supporting trade flows and supply chain integration, and opening broader horizons for economic and investment cooperation between Egypt and the GCC states.”

The two sides agreed to “continue enhancing political consultation mechanisms between them, in implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides in February 2022, and the joint action plan between Egypt and the GCC for the period 2024–2028, thereby strengthening regular consultation and coordinating positions on issues of mutual concern.”

In a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, Abdelatty emphasized “the necessity of an immediate halt to all attacks targeting Saudi territory, stating that there is no justification for these aggressions and they cannot be accepted,” stressing “the importance of de-escalation and containing regional tensions in light of their negative repercussions on the security and stability of all countries in the region and the world.”

In media remarks in Bangkok, Abdelatty reiterated “Egypt’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia in the face of attacks targeting its security and stability.”

In a separate call with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, on Monday evening, Abdelatty affirmed “Egypt’s unequivocal condemnation of the attacks suffered by the sister Kingdom, and its full solidarity with the Kingdom, standing by its side in confronting any threats targeting its security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”

He stressed that “the security of the Kingdom is an inseparable part of Egypt’s and the Arab world’s national security.”

In this context, Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, in a new statement, “strongly condemned the heinous attacks on Riyadh, and the resulting casualties and injuries among innocent civilians and guests of God (Hajj pilgrims),” affirming that “targeting civilian facilities and pilgrims heading to the Two Holy Mosques constitutes a provocation of Muslim sentiments, an unacceptable transgression of all human values and international norms, and a direct infringement on Saudi Arabia’s security and territorial integrity.”

On the Sudanese front, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it is closely following the unfortunate incident that occurred in Khartoum after a gunman opened fire on several Egyptian truck drivers, killing two drivers and injuring a third.

It announced that Abdelatty had instructed the Egyptian ambassador to promptly communicate with Sudanese authorities to ascertain the circumstances of the incident, check on the injured citizen, and take necessary measures.

On the European front, Egyptian sources stated that Abdel-Ati informed his Dutch counterpart of the utmost importance of ensuring adequate and necessary protection for the Egyptian embassy in The Hague by the local authorities, in accordance with the obligations stipulated in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. He also emphasized the importance of fully respecting these obligations, in line with the principle of reciprocity, given the Egyptian authorities’ full commitment to providing the necessary protection for all diplomatic missions present in Egypt.