Cairo: Egypt will not hesitate to send military forces to Gulf countries to offer protection if asked by the leaders of those countries, President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi said on Wednesday.
The most populous Arab state, the recipient of billions of dollars in aid from the Gulf, has entered a Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting in Yemen but has yet to formally commit to sending ground troops. Al Sissi has often said that the Gulf’s security is synonymous with Egyptian national security.
“The president made it clear that Egypt will not hesitate to send forces to brotherly Gulf counties to defend them if they face any direct threat or aggression,” the presidency said in a statement. Al Sissi made his comments at a briefing with Kuwaiti journalists on Wednesday.
He added that the Egyptian army is “for all Arabs” and that Egypt was capable of combatting any aggression or direct threat against it or any of its “sisterly” Arab countries.
He stressed that Egypt does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.
Egypt has received billions of dollars in aid from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates after Al Sissi, as military chief, ousted President Mohammad Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 following mass protests against his rule.
Speaking on Libya, he stated that Egypt has refrained from interfering in its internal affairs. The only exception was the Egyptian response to Daesh’s execution of 21 Egyptian citizens.
Al Sissi described the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 as the “first and most serious blow” to Arab unity. “Arab people are now paying dearly the price of such act,” he said.
He underlined the need to provide all required help to crisis-ridden Arab countries to help them restore security, stability and retain their national institution to continue their active roles as members of the “Arab family”.
Al Sissi asserted that the strength of Arab countries stems from their unity, adding that Arab countries must stop offending each other.
