Sisi: The visit of the Emir of Qatar is an important step in developing relations in various fields

The Egyptian president said that the visit of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to his country is an "important step in developing bilateral relations in various fields." The Al-Ula summit in 2021 ended a dispute that broke out in the summer of 2017, between Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt on the one hand, and Qatar on the other.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said, on Saturday, that the visit of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to his country is an "important step in the development of bilateral relations."

This came according to the Qatar News Agency, after discussions on bilateral relations and regional issues, at the Al-Etihadiya Palace in the capital, Cairo, during his first visit to Egypt since 2015.

And the agency reported that Sisi "expressed his congratulations to the Emir of Qatar on the occasion of the anniversary (the passage of 9 years) on assuming the reins of power," praising the "development and civilizational achievements made by Qatar during his reign in various fields."

The Egyptian president stressed that "the visit of the Emir of Qatar is an important step in developing bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields."

On his part, the Emir of Qatar expressed his aspiration to "strengthen the relations of cooperation in a way that achieves common aspirations, is in the interest of the two brotherly countries and peoples, and develops them to broader horizons."

The talks witnessed "discussing bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries and ways to enhance and develop them in various fields, especially in the fields of investment, energy, defense, culture and sports."

The two sides also discussed "a number of current issues on the regional and international arenas, and exchanged views on them, especially the developments in the Middle East," according to the same source.

After the talks, the Emir of Qatar left Egypt and was seen off by the Egyptian president, according to the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper.

The visit of the Emir of Qatar comes days after the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Egypt, and the announcement of investment deals between Cairo and Riyadh worth 7.7 billion dollars.

On January 5, 2021, the Al-Ula summit in Saudi Arabia ended a dispute that erupted in the summer of 2017 between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt on one side and Qatar on the other.

Since the Gulf reconciliation was announced at the summit, these countries and Qatar have been making efforts to develop their relations after 4 years of a rupture that included closing the airspace.

The last visit of the Emir of Qatar to Egypt was in 2015, but he met Sisi again on August 28, 2021, on the sidelines of their participation in an Iraqi international summit, in the first meeting between them since the 2017 crisis.