Sisi: Saudi fuel halt not related to Egypt's UNSC vote on Syria

Egypt's president Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ruled out Thursday that the halt of Saudi Arabian fuel shipments to Egypt was an answer to his country's UN Security Council vote on Syria, state-run MENA news agency reported.

"Some thought that the halt of the fuel shipments to Egypt came in response to Egypt's stance in the Security Council but it is not true," Sisi said during an educational seminar organized by the Egyptian Armed Forces.

He said that the fuel halt is related to a deal signed in April, adding that Egypt has taken measures to secure its fuel needs.

"We do not have any problem in regarding the issue of securing fuel," he confirmed.

Media reports attributed the Saudi decision to cease deliveries of fuel supplies to Egypt after the North African country backed a Russian resolution on Syria in the UN Security Council.

Saudi Arabia is one of the strongest supporters of Sisi's administration and it led oil-rich Gulf States, excluding Qatar, to assist Sisi's government with billions of U.S. dollars and tons of oil supplies to maintain Egypt's stability following the military removal of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in early July 2013.

Meanwhile, Sisi stressed that Egypt's stance towards the Syrian issue is clear, which is reaching a political solution to the crises, disarming armed groups there and rebuilding the country.

"I see that our brothers in Gulf States do not oppose this," he said.

Sisi also said that Egypt's votes on the French and the Russian resolutions were meant to reach ceasefire and allow the entry of human assistances to the Syrians.

"This was our perspective when we voted," Sisi pointed out. Endit