MPs laud Sisi’s vow to defend Gulf against threats

CAIRO – 8 November 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s rejection of the presence of militias and chaos in the region affirms Egypt's determination to continue fighting terrorism and extremist ideology, MP Mohamed Salim said, praising Sisi’s statements in the World Youth Forum.

Salim also praised Sisi’s affirmation that the Egyptian army would move if any of the gulf countries faced a threat, saying that Sisi’s remarks stress rejection of any interference or violation against the Gulf States.

President Sisi earlier said that the Egyptian policy refuses the participation of armed groups or militias in resolving the crises in the region.

Sisi also stated that Egypt supports Gulf states to face any challenges, adding that the Egyptian people and forces would move to support "our brothers" in the Gulf if a direct security threat faced them.

For his part, Mohamed Hamid, a researcher in international relations, said that Cairo is aware of the conspiracy against the Gulf countries that aims to pressure the Gulf and impoverish its states in order to enable Iran to take control of it.

Hisham al-Nagar, an Islamic scholar, stressed that Sisi is keen to transfer the experience in preserving the Egyptian state and its institutions to the peoples of other countries.

He added that Sisi’s remarks aimed to invite countries to coordinate with Egypt against terrorist entities that are acting to destroy countries and create chaos, using the pretext of distorted and misunderstood religious titles.

MP Ahmad Imbabi, undersecretary of the Parliament’s Arab Affairs Committee,said that Sisi has sought to emphasize that Cairo will defend the Gulf's security exactly as it defends its national security.

Sisi said during the forum that Egypt's efforts aim to achieve stability in the countries of the region, including Qatar. He also said he trusts “the wise and rational” Saudi administration, affirming that Saudi Arabia is a big country that no one can destabilize.

He also referred to the “negative” role played by the media concerning the crisis Saudi Arabia has faced since Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Turkey.