By İbrahim Khazen and Rania Abu Shamala
CAIRO/ISTANBUL (AA) - The leaders of Egypt and Djibouti affirmed the need to support all efforts aimed at strengthening the foundations of security and stability in Somalia and preserving its unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty.
This statement was made Wednesday during a joint press conference by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh at the Presidential Palace in Djibouti, according to a statement from the Egyptian Presidency, during President Sisi’s second visit to Djibouti, the first having taken place in 2021.
“We categorically rejected any attempts to undermine the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sudan, including the rejection of any endeavors to establish a parallel government,” said Sisi.
The two leaders also stressed that they “vehemently reject the displacement of the Palestinians from their land under any pretext and affirm our complete readiness to cooperate with all international partners in the implementation the Arab-Islamic plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.”
Regarding the Red Sea, they affirmed the “unequivocal rejection of any threats to the security and freedom of navigation within this vital international trade artery and underlined the critical need to adhere to the principles and foundations of regional security.”
On bilateral relations, Sisi stated: “I held extensive talks with my brother, His Excellency President Guelleh, during which we focused on bilateral cooperation across an array of priority sectors for our countries,” without providing further details.
Prior to the press conference, the two presidents witnessed “the signing of a number of Memoranda of Understanding, MoUs, designed to strengthen joint cooperation in the fields of higher education, youth and sports, and media.”
Following Sisi’s return to Cairo, the Egyptian Presidency released a joint statement outlining the two countries’ agreements on the issues discussed during the press conference.
Sisi and Guelleh also welcomed the allocation of 150,000 square meters in Djibouti’s free zone for use by Egyptian companies as a logistics hub to boost trade between the Egyptian and Djiboutian markets and to serve as a gateway to neighboring regional markets.
The two presidents also called on “all concerned parties in South Sudan to avoid escalation and resolve disputes through peaceful and diplomatic means, in order to preserve the security and stability of South Sudan and the region.”
They also called on “Israel to cease its violations of the ceasefire agreement and return to the negotiating table to agree on the second-phase arrangements and emphasized the necessity of allowing the resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries.”
They urged US “President (Donald) Trump and the international community to pressure Israel to comply with the agreements reached.”
The presidents expressed their hope for cooperation with Trump and all international powers in implementing the Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.
Regarding Syria, the Egyptian and Djiboutian presidents affirmed “support for Syria’s national state institutions and their stability and the rejection of all forms of violence that threaten the stability and safety of the Syrian people.”
They stressed “the need to launch an inclusive transitional process that ensures the participation of all segments of the Syrian people without exclusion.”