Egyptian FM convenes with four Arab counterparts in Jeddah

CAIRO – 18 May 2023: The foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Morocco, and Jordan convened Wednesday on the sidelines of the ministerial meetings held to prepare for the Arab summit taking place in Jeddah.

The ministers conferred over regional and international developments, including the updates of the Saudi Arabia-Iran deal signed in March. They exchanged views in the framework of preserving joint Arab interests.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry attended Wednesday the first meeting of the Arab Ministerial Contact Group on Sudan, and that took place on the sidelines of the Council of Arab Foreign Ministers' meeting in Jeddah.

The group was formed upon a decree by the Council of the Arab League during its extraordinary session on May 7, and has as members Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Arab League's secretary general.

The group's purpose is communicating with Sudanese and international actors to deal with the causes of the crisis, and deploy efforts to accomplish a complete and sustainable ceasefire.

The three diplomats stipulated the importance of considering the Sudanese crisis an internal matter, warning of the consequences of meddling with Sudanese affairs. The group also expressed support to Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan.

The group members lauded the endeavors made by a number of Arab states, including Egypt, to alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people, calling on the international community to secure immediate humanitarian and medical aid.