Egypt's president visits staunch ally United Arab Emirates

[EgyptianAmerican]

In this photo released by the Emirates News Agency, WAM, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sissi, left, meets with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahayan, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi, via APRyan Carter

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES


Egypt's president began a two-day visit Wednesday to the United Arab Emirates, a staunch ally that has provided billions of dollars in aid to his country's ailing economy and unwavering support for Cairo's crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.


Upon his arrival at the Presidential Airport, Al Sissi was accorded an official reception, and the national anthems of the UAE and Egypt were played and a 21-gun salute was fired in honour of the guest.

Also receiving Al Sissi at the airport were Lieutenant General Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Shaikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor, Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Juma Mubarak Al Junaibi, UAE’s Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League.

UAE committed to regional security

The UAE is committed to support regional and international pillars of stability and security through a positive cooperation with key influencers in the region and the world including Egypt, said His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The region is now going through a critical time and that requires enhancing cooperation and solidarity between Arab nations so as to maintain their peace, stability and overcome common challenges including terrorism, extremism and foreign intervention in the international affairs of regional countries, Shaikh Mohammad added.

Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan made these remarks on Wednesday while receiving Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi, in Abu Dhabi.

Shaikh Mohammad and Al Sissi discussed fraternal relations in various domains covering political, economic and development ones as well as other vital domains to further boost their relations and achieve their mutual interests.

The UAE's state-run WAM news agency said Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and el-Sissi discussed the war in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition that includes Emirati and Egyptian troops is fighting Iranian-allied Shiite rebels.


They also discussed Libya's political turmoil. El-Sissi's visit overlaps with UAE-brokered direct talks underway in Abu Dhabi between two rival Libyan leaders. The talks are an attempt to further sideline Libya's Islamist politicians, which Egypt and the UAE view as a potential threat.

WAM said the two leaders additionally exchanged views on Syria and consulted about ways to address terrorism. Egypt is struggling to contain attacks by the Islamic State movement and other militant groups, including two devastating bombings at churches last month.


The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, supported el-Sissi's rise from army general to president of Egypt in 2014 and his lethal crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood after its ouster from power. All three countries are wary of Islamist groups in the region and have labeled the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.

He reiterated the UAE’s firm stance to support Egypt and its people’s aspirations toward stability and development, saying that a stable Egypt is a stable region thanks to Egypt’s strategic and historical importance for the Arab world.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi also highlighted the role being played by Egypt in supporting efforts aiming at establishing regional stability and finding practical solutions for challenges as well as its great efforts to counter the scourge of terrorism , violence and extremism that are targeting that stability of Egypt and the entire region.

El-Sissi's visit to the UAE comes less than two weeks after his meeting with King Salman in Saudi Arabia.

Egypt and the UAE also share deep economic ties. There are hundreds of Emirati businesses in Egypt. Among the most prominent is real estate developer Emaar, which has large projects in Cairo and along Egypt's Mediterranean coast. There is also an upscale neighborhood of villas in the suburbs of Cairo named after Sheikh Zayed, the first ruler and founder of the UAE.

The UAE is the largest foreign investor in Egypt, with $6.2 billion worth of investments, according to an Egyptian official quoted in WAM. Egypt's exports to the UAE reached $2.4 billion while its imports from the UAE topped $885 million.

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http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/government/egypt-s-al-sissi-begins-uae-visit-1.2021694