Cairo – Discussing ways on reinforcing bilateral relations and facing regional challenges, a Saudi-Egyptian summit will be held on Sunday in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia's monarch King Salman will be meeting with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Sisi's visit to Riyadh is a step in the greater direction of setting out an effective coordination and consulting mechanism between the two countries, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told Asharq Al-Awsat. The summit will adhere to cooperative managing of regional challenges and bolstering ties, he added. Significant mutual interest is present between Saudi Arabia and Egypt and Sisi's visit confirms that notion and pushes cooperation towards better horizons, Shoukry added. The foreign minister said the Riyadh meeting is an exceptional opportunity to address regional and international developments, particularly after Sisi visited Washington recently. The two leaders will discuss the United States' new administration's policy and approaches. Syria, Yemen, Libya and counterterrorism efforts are among the central subject matters Sisi and King Salman are expected to review. Bilateral discussions endorse the importance of coordination in the face of common challenges and advance ties, Shoukry added. When detailing economic cooperation and moving formerly signed agreements into implementation, Shoukry stated that any projects arising from endorsed accords benefit both Saudi and Egyptian economies. As for the political arena, the minister noted that the summit comes at a critical timing, adding: "Recent controversy and rumors over Cairo-Riyadh ties going through a rough patch will cease." Saudi-Egyptian relations remain a vital factor for upholding regional stability and security. Shoukry also confirmed that both Saudi Arabian and Egyptian leaderships seek to boost Arab national security, strengthen the stability of Arab states and end existing conflicts. The eradication of terrorism is also a goal shared by Sisi and King Salman.
