Egypt’s Sisi meets Arab leaders ahead of summit

By Ibrahim al-Khazen

ISTANBUL (AA) – Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Monday met with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Jordan and Iraq ahead of a five-way Arab summit.

A spokesman for al-Sisi said the Egyptian leader met with UAE’s Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Bahraini King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

He said the five leaders discussed aspects of bilateral relations and “the best way to use all available fields to enhance their cooperation.”

A summit between the leaders of the five Arab countries is scheduled to open later in the day in Alamein city in northwestern Egypt.

According to Egyptian media, the summit will discuss regional issues and “enhancing bilateral ties to face joint challenges.”

Monday’s summit comes almost a month after a US-Arab summit in Saudi Arabia, which was attended by the five leaders, along with US President Joe Biden and others.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar