Egypt and Saudi Arabia show full support for security cooperation

Egypt and Saudi Arabia continue to strengthen their ties. On this occasion, the common ground that has brought about the rapprochement between the two countries has been the issue of security, something that is particularly relevant given the role that both Saudi Arabia and Egypt play in strengthening security in the Middle East. Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, in a meeting in which they agreed on several key points regarding this issue.

According to Prince Faisal at a press conference, Egypt wants to work to "establish security in the Middle East" by "expanding the volume of cooperation and consultation".Riyadh has expressed its enthusiasm for Cairo's stance and stressed the need for the two countries to cooperate on such sensitive issues as cooperation in the fight against terrorism.  
 

Riyadh has expressed its enthusiasm for Cairo's stance and stressed the need for the two countries to cooperate on such sensitive issues as cooperation in the fight against terrorism. 

"We have a special and strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia," said Shoukry at a time when diplomacy in the Middle East is undergoing an assiduous diplomacy. 

In this area, the rivalry with Iran has been another common ground that has further strengthened cooperation between the two Arab countries. Both ministers agreed on the need to prevent Iran from obtaining a larger nuclear arsenal, and Riyadh reaffirmed its willingness to engage in dialogue with Tehran.

However, the two Arab countries agreed that Arab security is an "indivisible whole" and discussed the importance of "joint Arab action" as well as "full solidarity" aimed at preserving Arab national security. They affirmed their refusal to allow either side to interfere in the internal affairs of the country or to threaten its stability. They agreed to continue to strengthen the fight against terrorism in the region "in all its forms".
 
Beyond counter-terrorism, they discussed security issues related to navigation in the Persian Gulf, the Bab Al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea, as well as serious steps to try to secure "the rights of Egypt and Sudan on the issue of the Ethiopian Dam".

Coinciding with the upcoming democratic elections in Libya, Libya was another issue that Egypt and Saudi Arabia discussed during their meeting. Both sides agreed on the importance of maintaining Libya's stability, unity and territorial integrity in order to ensure that elections are held safely, as well as trying to ensure the departure of mercenaries and foreign fighters.

Moreover, the Palestinian issue has been put back on the table. Both Egypt and Saudi Arabia noted that Palestine "is the central issue of the Arab question" and that a just and comprehensive solution requires "the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state" on the basis of the Arab Peace initiative along with appropriate resolutions of international legitimacy. Faisal also reiterated his rejection of the "continued Israeli violations" taking place in Palestine, a conflict that is far from ending as international postures strengthen cooperation with Israel. 

Diplomatic relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia have gone through different episodes ranging from diplomacy on issues shared by both nations to outright disagreements on issues such as the Syrian war. This is not the first time that security has taken centre stage in relations between the two countries, as it is something they share as a means of trying to defend the identity and security of Arab nations. In this sense, security defence in the Middle East and North Africa is experiencing momentous times due to the continuous threats that seek to undermine stability in the region, something that the countries of the region are trying to tackle through diplomacy and cooperation.