Egypt: We have soldiers in Saudi Arabia

Speaking to France 24 channel in the country where he went for the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting held in Paris, the capital of France, Abdulati stated that Egypt's support to Saudi Arabia was for defensive purposes and not for offensive purposes.

Abdulati stated that Egyptian President Abdulfettah al-Sisi was authorized to take the necessary measures only to support the defense capacity of Saudi Arabia and said, "The security of Saudi Arabia is the security of Egypt." he said.

Stating that they aim to strengthen Saudi Arabia's defense capacity and that Egyptian soldiers will not move to Yemen, Abdulati said, "We have been keeping soldiers in Saudi Arabia for defense purposes for several months." he said.

When reminded that the military support in question was considered by the Houthis as "Egypt's declaration of war", Abdulati rejected this and stated that they were in favor of reducing the tension and did not support military escalation.

Abdulati stated that they are in contact with Saudi Arabia and that they hope to stop the attacks and return to negotiations within the framework of the road map previously agreed upon by the parties.

Emphasizing that the crisis in Yemen requires a political solution, not a military one, Abdulati stated that finding political solutions to other crises in the region is among his priorities.

Political solution to regional crises

Abdulati also stated that one of the priorities of the G7 meeting is to refocus on the Palestinian issue, which is at the center of conflicts in the region, and stated that the security and stability of Israel and the entire region cannot be ensured without solving this problem.

Emphasizing the need to return to negotiations to solve the problem with Iran, Abdülati stated that what can be done to bring the parties to the negotiation table again will be evaluated.

The Egyptian Minister stated that there is a certain agreement on the basic elements of the agreement, but there may be disagreement on the priority order, and said that this issue can be resolved through negotiations.

Abdülati stated that their other priority is the security of waterways and ensuring freedom of navigation, and that they will focus on the security of maritime transportation in the Strait of Hormuz, Babülmandep Strait, Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

Stating that they are coordinating with the parties of the process, especially Iran and the USA, Abdulati stated that their main goal is to prevent the escalation of a new tension that could have serious consequences for the region and the world.

On October 26, the Egyptian Parliament authorized President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to take the necessary measures to support Saudi Arabia's defense capacity.

*AA's archive photo was used in the news.