Egypt’s FM starts Arab tour amid Lebanon crisis

CAIRO - 11 November 2017: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will start an Arab tour on Sunday, which includes Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, in which he will discuss bilateral relations with these countries.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid stated that Shoukry’s visit comes within the framework of permanent consultation between Egypt and Arab countries on the overall bilateral relations and the situation in the region.

The developments on the political scene in Lebanon and the growing challenges in the Arab region require intensifying consultation and coordination between Egypt and the Arab countries, Abu Zeid added.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, sparked a political crisis on last week by declaring his surprise resignation in Riyadh.

His resignation has thrust Lebanon back onto the front line of the Middle East's most biting rivalry, pitting a mostly Sunni bloc led by Saudi Arabia and including the UAE against Shi'ite Iran and its allies.

Before his resignation, Saudi Arabia accused Lebanon of declaring war against it because of aggression by Iran's Lebanese ally Hezbollah, dramatically escalating the crisis and threatening to destabilize tiny Lebanon.

During the tour, Shoukry will deliver verbal messages from President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to the leaders of Arab countries. He will hold bilateral talks with his Arab counterparts as well.

Egypt's steady stance to preserve Arab solidarity in the face of the various challenges that the region is witnessing will be conveyed in the tour, Abu Zeid added.

On the sideline of the World Youth Forum, Shoukry held talks with his French, Finnish and Greek counterparts, in which he discussed bilateral relations with Egypt.

Shoukry on Tuesday had talks with his Finnish counterpart, Timo Soini, in which they discussed means of promoting bilateral relations and exchanged views on the current regional situation.

Shoukry met Thursday with his French counterpart, Jean Yves Le Drian, in Sharm El-Sheikh to discuss ways of boosting relations between both countries.

Abu Zeid explained that both ministers shed light on the recent successful visit by President Sisi to Paris in October, which reflected the deep-rooted and distinguished relations between Egypt and France, underling the evolution of cooperation and consultation between Cairo and Paris over issues of common interest for the two sides.