Staff report: CAIRO, August 13, 2018 - President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has reiterated Egypt's firm belief that the security and stability of Yemen represents a matter of utmost importance not only for the Egyptian national security but also for the security and stability of the entire region. Speaking to a joint press conference with the visiting Yemeni President Abedraboo Mansour Hadi Monday, President Sisi stressed Egypt's utter rejection of turning Yemen into a foothold for influence of non-Arab powers or a platform for threatening the security and stability of sisterly Arab countries or the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb. President Sisi also underlined Egypt's genuine commitment to support the stability and territorial integrity of Yemen and to back up Yemen's legitimate government with a view to overcoming current challenges and confronting decisively whoever wants to play havoc with the potentials of the Yemeni people. Elaborating, the president said that Egypt's commitments towards Yemen emanate from the constants of its foreign policy as well as the solidity and speciality of the historical relations that bind it with Yemen. President Sisi also emphasised that Egypt stands in support of efforts to reach a political solution to the Yemeni crisis and the importance of realising conciliation between various political parties. And it is within this framework that Egypt welcomes the efforts made by the United Nations envoy to Yemen to seek the resumption of negotiations in accordance with the basic internationally-agreed terms of reference, the Egyptian leader said in his statement to the joint press conference. In the foremost of those terms of reference are the Gulf initiative with its executive mechanisms, the conclusions of the national dialogue and the UN Security Council resolutions of relevance, especially including Res. 2216, President Sisi said. The Egyptian leader asserted that the Yemeni president's visit to Cairo acquires special importance in view of the critical stage which the Yemeni crisis is passing through. The consequences of this crisis, President Sisi said, add up to the grave challenges that the Arab region is experiencing and are threatening its security and stability in an unprecedented way. Such a state of affairs demands Arab countries to coordinate their efforts and consolidate co-operation inter se so that they can forestall the escalating dangers that we all face. For his part, the Yemeni president thanked President Sisi and the Egyptian people for their honourable stances towards his country and for supporting constitutional legitimacy in Yemen. President Hadi pointed out that Egypt's support to his country will continue until stability is restored to Yemen – a matter that will positively reflect on the stability of the region. Hailing Egypt's support of his country as aimed at restoring legitimacy in Yemen, President Hadi noted that such an attitude is an extension of the backing that Egypt has lent to his country since the Yemeni Revolution. Egypt, he added, always stand firm in defending the causes of the Arab nation. The Yemeni president also thanked the Egyptian government and people for hosting tens of thousands of Yemeni citizens who had to flee their country under the conditions of war. Before the press conference, President Sisi and the Yemeni president held fruitful talks during which they discussed ways of supporting and enhancing bilateral relations at all levels in addition to the developments of the Yemeni crisis and ways to deal with current challenges and the ensuing political and security repercussions. The two leaders also reviewed ways of support that Egypt can offer to push forward mechanisms for political solution and ease the humanitarian suffering that the Yemeni people are passing through. During the talks, President Sisi asserted Egypt's full support to the Yemeni government's legitimate efforts aimed at restoring the foundations of the state and its unity as well as ending the tragic humanitarian situation in Yemen, Presidency Spokesman Bassam Radi said in a statement. The president also referred to the inevitability of maintaining the UN-led endeavours to reach a political solution to the crisis in accordance with the resolutions of the international legitimacy, the Gulf initiative and the conclusions of the national dialogue, thereby paving the way for an early start of the reconstruction process as well as for putting an end to the humanitarian suffering that the Yemeni people are passing through, the spokesman added. For his part, the Yemeni president referred to the importance of the Egyptian role in supporting security and stability of the region as well as the fact that his country is looking forward to intensifying co-operation with Egypt at various levels in the coming period, Spokesman Radi said. The Sisi-Hadi summit talks also included a discussion of co-operation between the two countries to enhance the protection of maritime navigation in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait in order to forestall the negative effects of the situation in Yemen on navigation, spokesman Radi said. Following their talks and before speaking to the joint press conference, the two presidents oversaw the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Egyptian and Yemeni central banks to enhance co-operation in the banking sector, especially with regard to the exchange of skills and the training personnel in this sector.
