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Egyptian president defends foreign policy over Syrian crisis

Xinhua, October 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

"Egypt's vote went to both the French-Spanish resolution and the Russian resolution (over Syrian crisis) last week, and this was not a contradictory stance," official MENA news agency quoted the Egyptian president as saying on Sunday.

Egypt has recently voted for a Russian draft resolution at the UN Security Council over Syria, which is believed to have disturbed Egypt's biggest Gulf ally Saudi Arabia although Egypt voted for a rival Western draft resolution.

Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said his country's foreign policy is moderate, balanced, open and independent.

Sisi's remarks came in an interview with the editors-in-chief of three daily state-owned newspapers, MENA said.

"Egypt's foreign policy does not interfere in other countries' affairs, and that is what makes the country's relations with the world strong," Sisi said during the interview.

As for the Syrian crisis, Sisi said, Egypt's stance was clear at the United Nations Security Council.

Egypt said it voted for both resolutions, which failed to pass at the world body, out of keenness on a relief for the Syrian people, particularly those in Aleppo, regardless of any political considerations.

"The common denominator in these two resolutions was that they called for a ceasefire and the entry of humanitarian aid to the Syrian people, and this is the important thing to the Egyptian state and people," Sisi stressed.

Sisi also spoke about what some considered as a crisis with Saudi Arabia that erupted following Egypt's voting on the two resolutions and then Saudi ARAMCO Company stopped sending shipments of petroleum products upon a signed contract.

Media reports claimed that Saudi Arabia ceased deliveries of fuel supplies to Egypt after the North African country backed a Russian resolution over Syria at the UN Security Council.

"The issue needs more coordination between Egypt and our brothers in the kingdom in order to clear things up," he said, adding that the shipment is part of a trade agreement signed during a visit to Egypt by Saudi King Salman Ben Abdel Aziz in April.

"We do not want to blow things out of proportion. Egyptian-Saudi relations are brotherly and strategic, and are not affected by anything," he stressed. Endit