Egypt, GCC to Launch New Political Consultation Mechanism

On Sunday, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry headed to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to launch the political consultation mechanism between Egypt and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in the presence of foreign ministers of the GCC countries and the Secretary-General of GCC.

This visit comes just two days before the GCC summit, which will be hosted in Riyadh on Tuesday chaired and moderated by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and in the presence of a number of high-ranking officials from Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman for Ahmed Hafez, it said that the launching of the Egyptian-Gulf political consultation mechanism is an extension of Egyptian-Gulf relations.

In the same connection, Hafez revealed that it reflects the keenness of both sides on periodic coordination and consultation, especially towards the common challenges facing the Arab region.

The main purpose of this new mechanism is to enhance the security and stability of the Gulf, which is cited as an integral part of Egypt’s own national security.

At the beginning of 2021, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, along with Egypt, inked the “Al-Ula Declaration” at the 41st GCC Summit held in the city of Al-Ula, paving the way for the re-establishment of political and economic ties with the State of Qatar.