Saudi Foreign Minister expresses Kingdom’s support for Egypt’s efforts to maintain security

Saudi Foreign Minister expresses Kingdom’s support for Egypt’s efforts to maintain security

August 18, 2013

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal was received by French President Francois Hollande in Paris today. Their meeting focusing largely on the situation in Egypt.
In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Minister stressed the importance of maintaining security and stability in Egypt, while implementing the road map to new elections laid out by the current government. He insisted that any demonstrations must be nonviolent and expressed disappointment that many countries are ignoring the actions of terrorists in Egypt.
Prince Saud denied that a coup had taken place in Egypt. “What is happening in the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt today reflects the will on 30 June of thirty million Egyptians who expressed their desires to conduct early presidential elections as an inevitable result of the deterioration of economic, political and social conditions, which led to the meeting of all political and social leaders and forces to announce a new road map leading Egypt to safety after the former presidency refused to respond to the wishes of millions of Egyptian people.” He insisted, “The uprising of thirty million Egyptians cannot in any way be described as a military coup, as military coups take place under the cover of darkness. In addition, a civilian presidency took power in Egypt in line with the Egyptian constitution.”

Prince Saud expressed the Kingdom’s regret over what is currently happening in Egypt, noting the “war in the streets, the destruction of public and private property, terrorization of citizens, loss of innocent lives, [and] burning of whole governorates of Egypt by a movement that refuses to respond to the popular Egyptian will, as well as the rejection of all reconciliation initiatives.”

The Saudi Foreign Minister denounced those in the international community who have ignored the violence carried out by the Egyptian government’s opponents. “We see, unfortunately, today international positions which have taken a strange course to ignore these irrefutable facts and focus on general principles, as if they want to cover up [the crimes of the opponents], the burning of Egypt, and killing of its safe people, and even to encourage these parties to persist in such practices.” He contrasted the concern for criminals in Egypt to the lack of attention given to innocents in Syria. “Where is the concern for human rights and the sanctity of blood and carnage that takes place every day in Syria, which led to the killing of more than 100,000 Syrians and the destruction of the whole of Syria without hearing whispering from the international community, which adheres to human rights as required by its interests and whims?” he asked.

Prince Saud concluded by reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to Egypt’s security and stability. “I assure everyone that the leadership, the government and the people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have stood and will always stand with Egypt and that the Arab states will never accept manipulation of their fates or tampering with their security and stability by the international community,” he said. “Concerning those who announced stopping their assistance to Egypt or threatening to stop them, the Arab and Islamic nation is rich with its people and capabilities and will provide a helping hand to Egypt. Our fate is one and our goal is one. As you enjoy security, calm and stability, do not consider them as too much for us.”

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