Media played 'negative' role in Khashoggi's case: Sisi

CAIRO – 6 November 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi said that media played a negative role in the case of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, reiterating his demand to wait until responsible investigation authorities conclude their investigations.

This came during his meeting with representatives of foreign media in Egypt on the sidelines of the 2018 World Youth Forum in Sharm el-Sheikh, which is set to be concluded on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Sisi said that he trusts "the wise and rational administration of the Kingdom under the leadership of the Saudi monarch King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud."

He added that Saudi Arabia is a big country that no one can destabilize, affirming that Egypt supports the kingdom in maintaining its security and stability.

These are Sisi's second official statements regarding Khashoggi after he recommended on Nov. 5 waiting for the outcome of the ongoing investigations and not prejudging the case.



The president compared the situation to the cases taking place in Egypt and which developed countries are concerned with, "they think that we can politicize the judiciary and that we can make the paths of judiciary come in line with our interest; and this isn't the truth."

Khashoggi was killed inside the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul a month ago.

"The issue, as I said, is being investigated. We will know the truth. We will hold those responsible accountable. And we will put in place mechanisms to ensure it doesn't happen again," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said.

Jubeir's comments came one day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the extradition of 18 Saudi nationals that authorities say were involved in the murder of Khashoggi.

In October, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that the legal measures taken by Saudi Arabia would uncover the truth and prevent all attempts for politicizing the issue.

The Saudi stance proves keenness of the kingdom to uncover the truth and take all required measures against anybody who would be involved, added the statement.

"Egypt sees that the brave and decisive actions taken by the Saudi king in this matter align with his majesty's approach that respects the principles of law and application of effective justice," the statement read.

Long-lasting crises

President Sisi said that there are countries that have ongoing crises that lasted for decades, adding that crises that last for a long time are hard to be resolved.

"Our actions are tied to our ability to influence, and our ability to influence is tied to our potential," Sisi said, adding that the Arab national security changed following 2011.

He stressed that the continuation of the crises in Syria, Libya and other countries in the region will make them harder to be solved, and will invite many parties to intervene. He added that rebuilding countries with crises in the region will be a problem, particularly in Syria and Yemen.



Sisi said Egypt's foreign policy works within a single framework regarding the crises of the region, including not intervening in the affairs of other states, not conspiring against anybody, and preserving the unity of Arab countries, adding that divisions will lead to further instability.

The Egyptian policy refuses the participation of armed groups or militias in resolving the crisis. He added that the will of the Egyptian people in the two revolutions that took place in 2011 and 2013 was absolute.

Seeking stability

President Sisi called for a partial lift of the arms and equipment embargo on the Libyan army to be able to play its role in maintaining security and stability in the country, especially as Libya shares borders with Egypt. He said that Egypt supports the Libyan National Army as it is the one responsible for maintaining security, adding that Egypt is working to unite the efforts of the Libyan military institution to deal with the current threats.

Concerning the Palestinian cause, and the so-called deal of the century, Sisi said he do not know the details of the deal, which is circulated in the media, stressing that Egypt has a clear stance toward the Palestinian issue, represented in the two-state solution.

He stressed the need to give hope to the Palestinian people. He also affirmed that Egypt does not accept that a unilateral solution is imposed against the will of the Palestinian people.

Sisi said that Egypt's efforts aim to achieve stability in the countries of the region, including Qatar. He stated that Egypt supports Gulf states to face any challenges, adding that the Egyptian people and forces will move to support "our brothers" in the Gulf if a direct security threat faces them.

During his talks, President Sisi praised Egypt's strong relations with the United Arab Emirates and the "brotherly" relation between him and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of UAE's Armed Forces.

Ensuring GERD will not harm Egypt

Sisi issued three demands that would ensure Egypt is not harmed after the construction of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is completed.

Sisi said that Egypt needs to ensure that the process of filling the dam's reservoir will not technically affect Egypt's share of Nile water, adding that "the technical committees have not yet reached an agreement."

"We want to turn Ethiopia's good intentions into [actual] agreements," Sisi stated.

He said that Egypt also needs to ensure the dam will not be "used for political purposes," adding that an agreement should be reached by the technical committees on the period of time required for filling the reservoir.

He said that Ethiopia has witnessed positive changes with its new leaders, adding Egypt and African states agreed to support development projects, "but not at the expense of the lives of Egyptians who depend entirely on the Nile water."

President Sisi speaks about the GERD in the National Youth Conference held in January, 2017: