Sisi highlights Egypt-Saudi cooperation, condemns non-Arab interference

CAIRO – 15 April 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi emphasized the Egyptian-Saudi alliance in his Sunday speech at the Arab League summit, saying “Egypt will not accept that Yemeni elements fire ballistic missiles at Saudi territory.”

He also highlighted Saudi and Egyptian efforts for Syrian factions to come together, warning that the current military action in Syria jeopardizes talks over de-escalation zones.

The Egyptian president maintained the stance against internationally prohibited weapons, called for a transparent investigation into the alleged use of such in Syria, and proposed rapid coordination between the United Nations and “only” Arab states to draft a Syrian constitution.

Labeling the crisis in the Arab world “the worst” since the independence in the mid-twentieth century, he slammed regional non-Arab interference in Arab states to establish zones of influence. He said that the army of a regional state is deployed in two Arab countries in “blatant occupation” of Arab territory, adding that yet another regional state has worked on creating zones of influence since disability hit several Arab countries in 2011.

In September 2017, the Turkish parliament extended the deployment of troops in both Iraq and Syria. Meanwhile, Iran has led proxy battles in several Arab countries, including Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.

He also condemned Arab governments that are involved in aiding sectarian, non-Arab forces, as well as providing safe havens for terrorists.

Sisi said armed terrorists represent the tip of the iceberg, explaining that all phases of terror should be addressed, including those who fund terrorism and support extremist ideology through logistics, media, as well as political and religious covers.

He stressed on Egypt’s role in fighting terrorism in North Sinai and in unifying the Libya army.

In terms of the Palestinian struggle, Sisi said “it is not just the issue of Arabs, but also an issue of rightness against force.” He reiterated that the Arab peace initiative is the most suitable solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that Jerusalem remains in the heart of the initiative.

He denounced the lack of resources at UNRWA, and using the Palestinian internal division as a pretext for keeping the status quo.

He affirmed his belief that establishing a new relationship with regional countries that respect sovereignty and non-interference is possible, as well as a comprehensive pan-Arab strategy against terrorism.