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Monday, 4 July 2022

No Arab Nato (for now), says Shoukry

Shoukry plays down speculation of “MENA Nato” military alliance: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has ruled out the formation of a regional military alliance similar to Nato, saying that it is unlikely to happen in the immediate future during a press conference in Bahrain last week. Speaking following talks with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Alzayani, Shoukry said that establishing a legally binding regional military alliance “would require consultation and is not being proposed at the moment,” Bahraini media reported.

An Arab Nato? Speculation has increased that a new regional military alliance against Iran is in the making ahead of US President Joe Biden’s visit to the region this month. The president will visit Saudi Arabia and Israel, and will meet with officials from across the region at the GCC+3 Summit. The Wall Street Journal reported recently that military officials from Israel and Arab nations met with US representatives in Sharm El Sheikh in March to discuss a coordinated security response to Iran’s growing power.

Speaking of Iran: The Islamic Republic apparently wants to improve its relations with Egypt. “We have not had direct talks with the Egyptian side. However, some efforts are underway to restore relations between Tehran and Cairo,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was quoted as saying by Iranian media.

Austria backs our rights to the Nile water: “The flow of the Nile is not a concern of one country but rather all countries through which the river runs … the Nile River should not be controlled by one state,” Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said during a press conference following talks with Shoury in Cairo yesterday, according to Ahram Online.

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