The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Sunday that security and economic cooperation will top Prime Minister Essam Sharaf’s agenda during his tour in the Gulf, which will start Monday.
Heading a delegation that includes Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi, Sharaf will visit Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Menha Bakhoum told reporters that the tour will focus on bilateral relations and economic cooperation between Egypt and the Gulf. Other regional issues of joint interest will be highlighted including Palestine, security in Gulf countries, and the situations in Libya and Yemen.
Bakhoum said that such issues were discussed by Arabi in Riyadh last week during a meeting with his Saudi counterpart Saud al-Faisal, at which Arabi confirmed that Gulf security impacts Egyptian security. He also said that foreign intervention into Gulf issues is unacceptable.
The Egyptian delegation will review the developments of the Gulf Cooperation Council's initiative to resolve the Yemeni crisis, according to Bakhoum, who added that the initiative is backed by many Arab and foreign countries who want a secure power transition and prevent turmoil in Yemen.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
