Arab Summit: Egypt’s President reminds Algerian leaders of need to preserve Arab Countries’ territorial integrity, stop dealing with armed militias

On the eve of the Arab Summit to be hosted by Algiers, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has sent a strong message to the Algerian rulers reminding them of the need to preserve Arab Countries’ territorial integrity and stop dealing with armed militias, an allusion to the polisario that is supported, armed and financed by the Algerian junta and that claims the independence of the Moroccan Sahara.

In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) during his official visit to Doha, President El-Sisi confirmed that the upcoming Arab Summit comes at a sensitive time for the Arab nation, which faces multiple crises and tension.

The President stressed that it was imperative to restore a number of principle and concepts in the Arab region such as upholding the nation-state, preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states and not dealing with terrorist groups and armed militias, the Egyptian head of state was quoted by QNA as saying.

The President underlined the importance of supporting national armies and military institutions as well as strengthening the authority of central institutions to avoid leaving vacuum that powers outside this framework could exploit to tamper with the capabilities and future of peoples in Arab countries, QNA said, adding that the Egyptian president also called for closing the door in the face of foreign interventions, while adhering to the principle of citizenship as a fundamental pillar to protecting societal peace.

These are the basic principles around which the issues of the Arab region revolve and that is the framework through which we look forward to cooperating with the Arab brothers during the upcoming summit, the president was quoted by QNA as saying.

Egypt’s President visited Qatar on Tuesday for the first time since a four-year rift between Cairo and Doha, a visit described as marking “a new era in relations” between the two Arab countries.

Cairo had joined Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies, the UAE and Bahrain, in cutting ties with Doha in June 2017 over its alleged support for the Muslim Brotherhood and alleged soft line on Iran.

Their blockade of Qatar was lifted in January 2021.

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani visited Cairo in June, and in late March, Cairo had announced that Qatar planned to invest five billion dollars in Egypt. Meanwhile, hydrocarbon giant QatarEnergy announced an agreement with US major ExxonMobil to acquire a 40-percent stake in a gas exploration block off Egypt in the Mediterranean.