Egyptian MP stresses Egypt-Saudi relations remain strong

Egyptian parliamentarian Hatem Bashat denied any tension in relations between Cairo and Riyadh, blaming the media channels and newspapers for raising such tensions that have not affected the historic relations between the two leaderships and peoples.

He added that the relations between Egypt and Saudi Arabia have their different nature if compared to the Egyptian relations with Qatar or Turkey, saying that the strength of Egyptian-Saudi relation derives from the position that the two countries enjoy on both regional and international level.

He added that Egypt and Saudi Arabia are considered the cornerstone to achieve security and stability in the Middle East and to confront the challenges and conspiracies facing the countries of the region. He added, "The two countries adopt similar vision towards the most of regional issues. Even if they have differences in a specific issue, the relations will remain strong between the two countries."

Regarding the Libyan crisis, the Egyptian parliamentarian stressed his country's keenness to find solution for the Libyan crisis, saying that the Egyptian government provided support for the legitimate government in Libya during the recent years to overcome the serious threats that faced the country, including the presence of extremist elements in the Libyan territories.

He added that the Egyptian government hosted a number of meetings between the Libyan conflicting parties to bridge the gap of difference among them and to find political solution for the current crisis. He called the U.N. Security Council for lifting the ban imposed on the armament of the Libyan army to keep the unity of the country and its territorial integrity.

The Egyptian official, who served as Secretary of Egypt's Intelligence Authority, added that the Palestinian issue will witness a notable breakthrough during the current era of President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. He said, "Since his ascent to the power, the president is keen to bear the responsibility of the Palestinian issue. He works currently to support the Palestinian reconciliation to pave the way for unifying the Palestinians to strengthen their position during any future negotiations."

He added that the Palestinian factions should give the priority to the interests of their country away from any factional gains. He stressed that it is expected that the Palestinian issue will witness notable progress during the coming period in the light of rapprochement between President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and his American counterpart Donald Trump.

He added that there are no fears over the building of Ethiopia's Renaissance Dam, saying that the two countries agreed on a number of technical details related to the dam. He added that each country realizes the interests of the other. He praised the economic decisions taken by the Egyptian government of Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, saying that the economic position will witness notable improvement during the coming period.

He praised the Egyptian people for realizing the economic situation witnessed in the country, adding that they were keen to express their confidence in their political leadership. He called the Egyptian government for taking the necessary measures aiming to provide the basic commodities with suitable prices and to expand the implementation of social protection programs to protect the poor categories of the Egyptian community.