Egypt, Qatar to boost economic ties

Egyptian-Qatari relations will see a big leap in the economy sector with more collaborations in the areas of investment, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr has said.

In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of the Arab Ministerial Committee on Syria held on Tuesday in Qatar, Kamel Amr said that Qatar and Egypt are in talks to boost economic ties.

Asked about the Egyptian-GCC relations in general, Amr said, “The issue of Gulf security is a strategic for Egypt, and vice versa” adding that the security situation in Egypt and the Gulf area are inter-related and Egypt’s political and economic relations with the Gulf region are strong.

On whether the final statement issued by Arab Ministerial Committee on Syria is enough to end the suffering of the people in Syria, Amr said the continuing violence in Syria is not acceptable, stressing that Egypt has adopted a clear stance towards ending the bloodshed in Syria and starting peace talks as Egypt doesn’t believe a military solution would resolve the crisis.

Amr hoped that Syria would respect the six-point plan put forward by Kofi Annan, UN-Arab League joint envoy to Syria.

He said Egypt hopes the violence in Syria would stop as soon as possible, stressing that a military solution in Syria would not be effective.

He said all factions of Syrian opposition should unite in order to be in a powerful position in any future negotiations.

On the current instability in southern Egypt due to the tensions between North and South Sudan, the foreign minister said : “It’s in Egypt’s interest to solve the crisis there peacefully and rapidly”.

Kamel Amr said that Egypt has contacted Sudan’s President Omar Bashir and South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir on the issue of Heglig in order to reach a solution to the crisis through talks.