Egypt's Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry held bilateral talks on Sunday with his Saudi counterpart, Adel Al-Jubeir, on the sidelines of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi's visit to Saudi Arabia. The duo discussed in a two-hour meeting bilateral issues and ways of enhancing cooperation in all fields in the coming period. They also discussed regional issues of common concern, especially the situation in Syria, Yemen, and Libya, as well as mechanisms to fight terrorism and extremist ideologies. The two ministers stressed the depth and strategy of the Egyptian-Saudi relations and the keenness of both sides to intensify the consultation and coordination between them in the coming period to meet the challenges facing the Arab world's national security. The ministers' discussion reflected an agreement in both countries' vision on the priorities of dealing with crises in the region. The meeting reflected the two countries' common political goals to push forward the bilateral relations in ways that meet the aspirations of the Egyptian and Saudi people. Egyptian-Saudi relations have suffered a year of tension, which are reportedly expected to improve following Al-Sisi's visit to Saudi where he met with the Saudi king and confirmed good relations. The visit came in response to an invitation made by the Saudi king to Al-Sisi during their meeting on the sidelines of the Arab Summit held last month in Jordan and attended by leaders of various Arab countries.
