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Thursday, 30 March 2017

Saudi-Egyptian reconciliation formalized at Arab Summit

Saudi-Egyptian reconciliation at Arab Summit: With the cameras rolling, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman invited President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to visit the Kingdom in a public show of good relations following months of tension. El Sisi welcomed the invitation and in turn invited Salman back to Egypt, according to a statement from Ittihadiya on Wednesday picked up by Reuters. The Saudi Foreign Minister said that the trip will take place in April, according to Youm7. Both leaders denied the existence of tensions. The public show of brotherly love came at a joint summit between the two heads of state on the sidelines of the Arab Summit in Jordan, where the two discussed coordinating on mutual regional issues.

Meanwhile in Egypt, there appears to be headway on funding projects pledged by the Saudi Fund for Development as a delegation from the fund concluded talks with Investment and International Cooperation Minister Sahar said yesterday, AMAY reports. The projects include USD 1.5 bn in development aid for Sinai, an USD 120 mn upgrade of Qasr El Aini Hospital, and USD 80 mn in irrigation and wastewater projects.

Also coming from the Arab League Summit: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi (read or watch: runtime 17:25) stressing the need to resolve regional conflicts, support the fight against international terrorist organizations, and refusing foreign intervention in the region. El Sisi and other Arab leaders reaffirmed their backing for a Saudi-led peace initiative to recognize Israel in exchange for a return to the 1967 borders, Bloomberg reports. El Sisi also met with his Yemeni, Sudanese, and Tunisian counterparts to discuss enhancing cooperation in addition to holding a joint Egyptian-Jordanian-Palestinian summit, according to statements from Ittihadiya.

Among all the expressions of brotherly Arab love and rejections of foreign hands we’ve come to expect of these summits, there was plenty of drama to go around. El Sisi and King Salman began their one-on-one session right in the middle of the Qatari Emir’s speech (watch, runtime: 0:51) — you know our longstanding views on Qatar, so you know we approve rather heartily. The opening was also marked by Lebanese President Michel Aoun taking what looked like a hard fall (watch, runtime 0:21) before the first session.

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