SAUDI ARABIA: We have no desire to see political change beyond our borders - Egypt's message to Gulf states

Record ID: 189091

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: We have no desire to see political change beyond our borders - Egypt's message to Gulf states
  • Date: 5th January 2013
  • Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (JANUARY 5, 2013) (REUTERS ) VARIOUS OF SAUDI AND EGYPTIAN FLAGS OUTSIDE OF SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTRY IN RIYADH SAUDI FOREIGN MINSTER PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL AND EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINSTER MOHAMED KAMEL AMR, ENTERING THE NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM EGYPTIAN FLAG WIDE OF CONFERENCE ROYAL GUARD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic), MOHAMED KAMEL AMR, EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINSTER, SAYING: "Egypt never interferes in the internal affairs of any other country and we have no interest in transferring what happened in Egypt to another country. What is happening in Egypt is a matter of internal affairs of Egyptians only." WIDE OF CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL ,SAUDI FOREIGN MINSTER, SAYING: "We are convinced that Iraq will not stabilise until it starts handling issues without sectarian extremism. Until these issues are addressed, we don't think there will ever be stability in Iraq, which pains us." REPORTERS THE TWO FOREIGN MINSTER LEAVING CONFERENCE ROOM.
  • Embargoed: 20th January 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAA5K5RB9ZPUHWUCRAI4453CX7L
  • Story Text: The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood tried on Saturday (January 5) to reassure neighbouring Gulf states that it has no desire to see political change beyond Egypt's borders.
    Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr, at a news conference in Riyadh with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Saud al-Faisal, on Saturday said Egypt does not interfere in the affairs of other countries.

    "Egypt never interferes in the internal affairs of any other country and we have no interest in transferring what happened in Egypt to another country. What is happening in Egypt is a matter of internal affairs of Egyptians only" he said.
    The comments came after the UAE rejected a request by Egypt to free 11 suspected Egyptian Islamists arrested on suspicion of training other Islamists in how to overthrow governments.
    Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood last week said some of the detainees were its members and demanded they be freed, saying they had been wrongfully arrested.
    Relations between Egypt and the UAE soured after veteran Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak - a longtime Gulf ally - was toppled in 2011. The UAE has voiced distrust of the Muslim Brotherhood that helped propel Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi to power last year.
    At the same press conference Saudi Arabia warned Iraq against sectarian extremism after two weeks of protests by Sunni Muslims against Baghdad's Shi'ite-led government.
    The street protests across Iraq's Sunni heartland have strained the Arab state's fragile political balance and renewed fears of intensified sectarian strife.

    "We are convinced that Iraq will not stabilise until it starts handling issues without sectarian extremism. Until these issues are addressed, we don't think there will ever be stability in Iraq, which pains us" said Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal.
    Iraq's Arab majority is mostly Shi'ite but the country was dominated by Sunnis under former strongman Saddam Hussein and much of the fighting since he was deposed has fallen along sectarian lines.
    Sunni Saudi Arabia has a tense relationship with Baghdad and senior princes have previously described Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki as being in hock to Shi'ite Iran.
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