Egyptian pound down in Thursday morning trade    Egypt's PM: Alternatives to old rent law to be ready soon    Environment ministry signs agreement to strengthen marine protection, promote ecotourism    Egypt, WHO discuss expanding health cooperation, development initiatives    Egypt, Sierra Leone discuss expanding cooperation in transport, infrastructure    Gaza under siege, fire: Resistance intensifies amid deepening humanitarian collapse    Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives in Egypt for high-level talks    Service restoration underway after Cairo telecom fire, minister tells PM    EGX closed mostly higher on July 9    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    Egypt, France FMs review Gaza ceasefire efforts, reconstruction    Egypt, Pakistan boost healthcare ties – Cabinet    UK, Egypt strengthen cooperation on green transition, eco-tourism, and environmental investments    Escalation in Gaza as ceasefire talks remain fragile amid mounting humanitarian crisis    CIB finances Giza Pyramids Sound and Light Show redevelopment with EGP 963m loan    Egypt's PM, Uruguay's president discuss Gaza, trade at BRICS summit    Greco-Roman tombs with hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Aswan    Egypt teams up with private sector to boost university rankings    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Egypt condemns deadly terrorist attack in Niger    Egypt's FM, China's Wang discuss Iran-Israel escalation    Egypt's EHA, Schneider Electric sign MoU on sustainable infrastructure    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Egypt's FM inspects Julius Nyerere Dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Diplomatic banana skin
Published in Al-Ahram Weekly on 01 - 11 - 2016

Iyad Madani, secretary-general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), resigned on Monday after making comments during a conference in Tunisia that were widely interpreted as mocking a speech President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi had given to the National Youth Conference in Sharm Al-Sheikh.
The Jeddah-based OIC issued a statement two days after Madani's comments saying he had resigned for health reasons".
"The OIC General Secretariat takes this chance to express its utmost appreciation and respect to all member states," added the statement.
Madani's resignation came after the visit of the Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Thamer Al-Sabhan to Egypt. Observers believe that the visit paved the way for Madani's resignation and was a step to release tension between the two states.
Youssef Al-Utaymeen, a former Saudi minister of social affairs, was named as Madani's replacement.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the same day welcoming the nomination of Al-Utaymeen and praising Saudi Arabia's role in supporting the OIC.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri had described Madani's comments, for which he apologised before his resignation, as "a serious encroachment against a founding member state of the organisation and its political leadership".
"Such remarks are not compatible with the responsibilities and duties of the organisation's secretary-general and fundamentally affect his ability to carry out his duties," said Shoukri.
Shoukri added that in light of Madani's comment Egypt would reconsider its relationship with the OIC and its secretary-general.
"Madani's resignation will ease the anger felt among Egyptians as a result of his comment in Tunisia," said a diplomat who talked on condition of anonymity. He went on to stress that the incident should not be conflated with Cairo's strained relations with Riyadh — Madani is a Saudi national — because, until his resignation, Madani represented the OIC.
Rakha Hassan, a former assistant to the foreign minister, described Madani's comments as a major diplomatic faux pas "given that he represents an international body that should not comment, directly or indirectly, on any of its member states".
The Foreign Ministry issued a follow-up statement saying Cairo was aware of the secretary-general's apology but reserved the right to discuss with the OIC any corrective measures.
Hassan argues against taking that matter any further in the wake of Madani's apology and subsequent resignation.
"It is enough to submit an official memo to the organisation pointing out the secretary-general's mistake and wait for an explanation from the OIC," he says adding that lessons should be learned from the incident. “Perhaps in the future, officials — from both states — should be careful about what they say in public,” Hassan says.
"Relations between Saudi Arabia and Egypt have seen previously hidden tensions bubble to the surface,” says the anonymous diplomat. “The OIC incident should not be allowed to compound them.”
Relations between the two states were further strained last month when Egypt voted in favour of two draft resolutions on Syria presented to the Security Council, one sponsored by France and the other by Russia. Neither was adopted.
Abdullah Al-Mouallimi, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the UN, described Cairo's vote in favour of the Russian resolution as “painful”.
Meanwhile Aramco, Saudi Arabia's state-owned petroleum giant, told the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) that it would be unable to supply Egypt with shipments of petroleum products in October.
During the official visit by Saudi King Salman bin Abdel-Aziz to Cairo in April Aramco agreed with EGPC to supply 700,000 tonnes of petroleum products every month for five-years. The deal includes 400,000 tonnes of diesel, 200,000 tonnes of benzene and 100,000 tonnes of Mazotper month, paid for by EGPC over a 15-year period and at 2 per cent interest.
Aramco has not given a reason for the suspension of supplies.
The latest Egyptian-Saudi spat reflects wider difference on how to deal with regional issues.
Differences over Syria are rooted in Riyadh's conviction that Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad must be removed before any settlement can take place while Cairo does not oppose a settlement with the present regime provided it paves the way for the phased departure of Al-Assad and denies Islamic militants any role in Syria's future. Riyadh is also opposed to Russian military intervention in Syria in support of Al-Assad.
Riyadh had also expected Cairo, which has repeatedly talked about its commitment to Gulf security, to participate with ground troops as part of a Saudi-led military coalition that intervened last year in Yemen's civil war. Egypt's commitment has so far been limited to naval deployment to protect Red Sea shipping lanes.
Riyadh is also unhappy with the channels of communication with Tehran that Cairo maintains in the absence of diplomatic relations. Popular opposition in Egypt to a decision to relinquish control of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia has also strained relations.
Hassan warns that “the Arab world is passing through a very dangerous phase and cooperation is required now more than ever".
"To allow every issue over which we disagree to undermine cooperation is not only dangerous for bilateral relations, it is a danger for the whole Arab world."


Clic here to read the story from its source.