Egypt’s president and head of British secret intelligence service stressed importance of enhancing security cooperation to combat high rate of terrorist attacks
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met on Monday with head of the Britain’s secret intelligence service Alex Younger. The meeting was held in the presence of the head of the Egyptian Intelligence Khaled Fawzy, according to a presidential statement.
Citing Younger, the presidency’s official spokesperson Alaa Youssef said that the former considers Egypt a main pillar for peace and stability in the Middle East. Younger added that fostering security cooperation between the UK and Egypt will be strategic due to the turmoil that the Middle East is experiencing, and the high rate of terrorist attacks around the world.
On the other hand, Al-Sisi said that Egypt is looking forward to enhancing ties with the UK particularly because of the wave of terrorism that has swept the Middle East and the world. The Egyptian president further added that there should be an inclusive vision to combat terrorism and fight its roots without differentiating between terrorist groups.
A delegation from the Egyptian parliament visited London in November 2016 to discuss Egyptian-British relations and the Muslim Brotherhood, which is outlawed in Egypt. Prior to the visit, the British parliament issued a report in which it criticised the British government for being biased towards the Brotherhood.
The British parliament criticised its government, as their former ambassador to Saudi Arabia contributed to the report and Saudi Arabia is known for its severe opposition to the Brotherhood.
The Egyptian delegation went to the UK to warn them from betting on the outlawed group, as they represent a danger to the UK.
In August 2016, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry warned the UK of their tolerant attitude towards the Brotherhood. He added that it may negatively affect bilateral relations between the two countries.
Shoukry’s statements came after the British government issued an internal regulation allowing Brotherhood members to seek asylum in the UK if they are at risk or subject to persecution.
