Sisi, Qatari emir discuss enhancing joint Arab work to support regional, int’l security

CAIRO – 25 June 2022: Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said on Saturday he discussed with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo means of enhancing bilateral relations in all fields.

 

In a tweet, the Qatari emir said he and Sisi discussed enhancing and activating joint Arab work in a way that meets the aspirations of the Arab peoples in development and stability and supports security of the region and the world.

 

Sisi bid farewell to the Qatari emir, who paid Egypt an official two-day visit for the first time in seven years, after holding bilateral discussions at Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo.

 

This is the first visit by the emir to Egypt since the two countries agreed on resuming bilateral relations in January last year after more than three years of diplomatic rift.

 

The rift, which started in 2017 between Qatar and the quartet of Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and UAE, was concluded in January 2021 after the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) and Egypt signed with Qatar Al-Ula agreement.

 

 

In June last year, Sisi sent an invitation to the emir to visit Egypt at the earliest opportunity, according to a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The invitation was sent by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Doha.

 

In February, both leaders met on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 24th Winter Olympics Beijing.

 

They also met in August 2021 for the first time in more than four years since severing ties on the sidelines of the “Baghdad Cooperation and Partnership’ conference.

 

The meeting comes few days after Egyptian Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait and his Qatari counterpart Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the Qatar Economic Forum to foster joint cooperation.

 

The MoU seeks to coordinate financial visions, positions, and policies at the bilateral level and in international forums.

 

It is also meant to exchange expertise in the fields of taxation, customs and financial policies in a way that contributes to achieving economic and development goals.

 

 

Qatari FM visit

 

Sisi met last march with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Cairo, where the former hailed Qatar's major role in facing the Arab nation's challenges.

Sisi also stressed the strong bonds between Egypt and Gulf's security.

 

The president valued the remarkable progress in Egyptian-Qatari relations, which will serve the two countries' peoples' interests, asking for conveying his greetings to the Qatari emir.

 

Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed lauded Egypt's pivotal role in the region as a main pillar for the Arab world's security and stability, as well as its keenness to bolster solidarity among the Arab countries.

During Sheikh Mohammed’s visit, Cairo and Doha agreed on $5 billion in Qatari investments in Egypt. The two countries also agreed on establishing a joint higher committee.

 

The recent bilateral visits between the two countries come after rounds of bilateral talks to restore their relations.