Sudanese authorities investigate the killing of two Egyptians in Khartoum

Egypt once again stressed its support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and warned of the repercussions of the Houthi escalation.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati affirmed “the readiness to provide all forms of support and respond to any requests from the Saudi side, which reflects the depth of the brotherly relations and strategic ties that unite the two countries, and the common interest in preserving the security and stability of the region.”

Abdel Aty’s speech came during a media interview with Bloomberg channel, where he touched on the regional situation, where he pointed to “Egypt’s full solidarity with the sister Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the face of attacks targeting its security and stability.” According to a statement given to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, he stressed that “Saudi national security represents an integral part of Egyptian and Arab national security.”

Abdel Ati also spoke in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, on Tuesday, about “the necessity of immediately stopping all attacks targeting the territory of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” He said that “there is no justification for these attacks and they cannot be accepted,” stressing the importance of reducing escalation and containing regional tensions in light of their negative repercussions on the security and stability of countries in the region and the entire world.

He also pointed out the importance of giving priority to political and diplomatic solutions, and returning to the path of negotiation and dialogue between Iran and the United States as the only way to settle existing differences, and to spare the region the risk of sliding into further escalation and instability.

In addition, talks between the Egyptian Foreign Minister and the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jassem Mohammed Al-Badawi, on Tuesday, on the sidelines of their participation in the fall meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, discussed the latest developments in the regional situation and the efforts made to contain the current tensions.

The two sides condemned the recent attacks targeting the sister Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and affirmed the full solidarity of Egypt and the GCC countries with the Kingdom and standing by its side in the face of any threats targeting its security, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

They also stressed the importance of intensifying joint Arab action and strengthening coordination and consultation mechanisms to confront the challenges that threaten the security and stability of the region, while emphasizing the necessity of respecting the sovereignty of states and the unity and integrity of their territories, and giving priority to political and diplomatic solutions to resolve regional crises.

Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nader Zaki said on Tuesday that Minister Abdel Aty stressed, during the meeting with the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the depth of the fraternal and historical relations that unite Egypt with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, stressing that “the security of the Arab Gulf countries represents an integral part of Egyptian national security, and that Egypt attaches the utmost importance to the security and stability of the sisterly Gulf countries, based on the fraternal historical ties that unite the two sides.”

Badr Abdel Ati also met, on Tuesday, with the CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development, Sultan bin Abdul Rahman Al-Murshid, on the sidelines of the fall meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group.

The two sides stressed “the depth of the fraternal and historical relations that bring together Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” and pointed out “the importance of continuing to strengthen development cooperation in a way that reflects the keenness of the leadership of the two countries to consolidate the bonds of cooperation and joint Arab integration.” The Egyptian Foreign Minister renewed “his country’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support in confronting the recent developments targeting its security and stability.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs praised the development role played by the Saudi Fund for Development, expressing appreciation for the Fund’s contributions to financing a number of vital projects in Egypt, especially in the areas of infrastructure, and supporting small, medium and micro enterprises, by providing soft financing to intermediary entities, which contributes to providing job opportunities and stimulating economic activity, and expressing the aspiration to expand areas of cooperation with the Fund to focus on sectors of common priority, in support of sustainable and comprehensive economic growth.

According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday, the two sides reviewed the current economic and geopolitical challenges, in light of the continuing regional escalation, and the pressures it imposes on the economies of developing countries, supply chains, and financing costs. Abdel-Ati stressed the importance of strengthening the role of Arab finance and development institutions, most notably the Saudi Fund for Development, in providing flexible financing mechanisms that contribute to supporting economic stability and enhancing the ability of the region’s economies to confront crises and achieve sustainable development.

For his part, the CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development stressed his keenness to continue supporting development efforts in Egypt and enhancing cooperation with the Egyptian side, in addition to examining opportunities to expand the scope of tripartite cooperation on the African continent, in a way that contributes to supporting development projects and achieving common interests.

Incidents of the killing of Egyptian sailors and the kidnapping of others in areas of maritime tension have shed light on the increasing risks facing workers on commercial ships, in light of union complaints about some companies exploiting their need to work and pushing them to sail in areas witnessing armed conflicts and security threats, from the Black Sea to the Strait of Hormuz.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, on Tuesday, its success in securing the exit of 15 Egyptian sailors stranded in Ukraine to neighboring Moldova, in preparation for their return to Egypt on the nearest flight, days after the return of 8 Egyptian sailors to Cairo, following their liberation from the grip of Somali pirates who held them captive for months.

The two cases reflect different aspects of the risks to which Egyptian sailors are exposed in troubled areas.

Captain Al-Sayed Al-Shazly Al-Najjar, President of the Egyptian Naval Officers Syndicate and Head of the Egyptian Maritime System, expected the continuation of crises facing sailors working in areas of armed conflict, pointing out that “some companies exploit them and push them to work in unsafe maritime areas, which makes them vulnerable to becoming hostages of wars.”

Al-Shazly, who is also an official of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) in Egypt, added that the wages of sailors working in conflict zones have doubled as a result of the reluctance of many to work there, due to security risks and military operations, and their reluctance to accept contracts that threaten their safety and lives.

He went on to say to Asharq Al-Awsat: “The expansion of the conflict in the Black Sea and the military tensions surrounding it impose more caution in dealing with maritime shipping lines, especially in areas that have become vulnerable to targeting.”

Last July, the Egyptian Authority for the Safety of Maritime Navigation called on both Egyptian sailors and shipping companies to exercise caution in conflict zones and high-risk maritime areas, and to adhere to security and safety procedures and risk assessment, in order to preserve lives and ships.

The call comes in light of incidents targeting commercial ships carrying Egyptian sailors, as the “Syrian General Authority of Ports and Customs” announced, a few days ago, the targeting and sinking of the ship “Alpha Watan,” following an attack on it in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea on October 6, which was followed by the loss of contact with its crew, which includes nine Syrian sailors and one Egyptian.

Last September, an Egyptian ship captain was killed as a result of a Ukrainian bombing that targeted a cargo ship while it was docked in a Russian port. The ship “Noran” was carrying 13 sailors, nine Egyptians, two from India, and two from Syria, and, according to information provided by the union, it was attacked by six Ukrainian drones.

As part of the move to evacuate Egyptian sailors stranded in Ukraine, Ambassador Nader Zaki, the official spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Tuesday that Minister Badr Abdel Aty issued directives to the consular sector of the ministry, the Egyptian embassies in Ukraine and Romania, and the non-resident accredited to Moldova, to quickly finalize the procedures for sailors whose ships were exposed to military operations in the Black Sea, and facilitate their return to the country as soon as possible.

The spokesman added that the two embassies worked to secure transit visas for sailors to Moldova after obtaining the necessary identification documents and communicating with the companies they work for to provide travel tickets to Egypt. He confirmed that the sailors had already crossed into Moldovan territory, in preparation for their return on the nearest flight.

Zaki pointed out that the Egyptian authorities had previously issued warnings regarding working in areas of conflict and tension, stressing the importance of operating companies and sailors adhering to these warnings, and not exposing ship crews to avoidable risks.

For his part, Al-Shazly praised the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in securing the exit of the fifteen sailors from Ukraine and their transfer to Moldova, pointing out that it highlights the importance of consular action in protecting Egyptians working abroad, especially in conflict areas where the movement of ships may be difficult or where it is difficult to evacuate crews by land and air.

On October 3, Egypt announced the departure of the eight Egyptian sailors who were kidnapped on board the ship “MT Eureka” off the coast of the Puntland region in Somalia, since May 2, to Cairo after their liberation.

The Egyptian ambassador to Somalia, Mohamed Salah, received the sailors upon their arrival at Mogadishu airport on Saturday, before transferring them to the embassy headquarters under tight security, and providing them with accommodation, in preparation for their travel with the ambassador to Cairo.

The tanker MT Eureka, with its crew of eight Egyptians and four Indians, was captured by Somali pirates after it was intercepted on May 2 near the coast of the Yemeni governorate of Shabwa, before heading to the Gulf of Aden and then to the waters opposite the Somali coast.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the head of the Egyptian Maritime Officers Syndicate stressed that the file of workers in conflict zones “should not be dealt with as a group of separate individual cases, but rather requires continuous monitoring of their conditions, coordination with operating companies, and strengthening adherence to safety procedures and official warnings, in a way that limits the exposure of ship crews to the risks of military operations and piracy in international sea lanes.”