In the Name of Allah, the Most Benevolent, the Most Merciful,

My brother, Your Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the fraternal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,

Your Majesties, Your Excellences, Your Highnesses, the Kings, Princes and Heads of State and Government of

Brotherly Arab States,

Your Excellency Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit,

Secretary General of the League of Arab States,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

May Allah’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

At the outset, I would like to thank my brother, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Prime Minister, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud for the warm welcome and hospitality. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation for the genuine effort made by my brother, President of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, His Excellency Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune to support joint Arab action during Algeria's presidency of the Arab Summit.

Dear brothers,

In recent years, our region has experienced harsh, extraordinary circumstances that have threatened the security and safety of our Arab peoples in an unprecedented manner. These circumstances have provoked severe anxiety among millions of Arabs toward the present and the future.

Those who are insightful has been assured that it is mandatory and necessary to preserve the national State and strengthen its institutions, for the future and the capabilities of the people. Matters would go askew if the hopes of our peoples would remain vulnerable to chaos, external interventions, which exacerbate unrest, and let crisis resolution efforts reach a stalemate.

Relying on our common efforts, our own capabilities, and integration amongst us to formulate decisive solutions to our issues has become a duty and a responsibility. Also, the application of the concept of joint action must extend to address global crises and coordinate our work to the reform of the global economic governance system, at the heart of it; financial institutions and international development banks that should be more responsive to the challenges of the developing world, taking into account that the state of international polarization threatens globalization, which was celebrated by the world, exposing a struggle to impose wills and enforce double standards in the application of international law.

Your Majesties, Excellences and Highnesses,

We have followed with sadness and pain how some of the Arab crises have escalated over the past period, particularly the irresponsible escalation by Israel in the Palestinian territories, most recently in the Gaza Strip. While Egypt reiterates its continued efforts to stabilize the calm, we warn that the continued management of the conflict, militarily and security, will have serious consequences for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples alike.

 It may be appropriate to reaffirm today our commitment to the strategic option of achieving comprehensive and just peace through the Arab Peace Initiative, on the basis of the resolutions of international legitimacy and demanding that Israel ends the occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian State along the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

A new crisis in Sudan is foreshadowing - if we do not cooperate to contain it- a prolonged conflict and catastrophic consequences for Sudan and the region. The crises in Libya and Yemen continue, requiring the activation of joint Arab action to resolve those issues, in a manner that is more pressing than ever. 

In the same context, Syria's return to the League of Arab States constitutes the practical activation of the Arab role and the start of an Arab march towards resolve the Syrian crisis based on international references for the solution and Security Council Resolution No. 2254.

Your Majesties, Excellences and Highnesses,

With our realization that Arab national security is an integral whole, it is time to take the lead of the initiative to preserve it, including the important steps that our countries have taken in the past to harmonize relations with non-Arab regional parties, from which we look forward to similar and sincere steps that contribute to achieving security and stability in the region.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that Egypt, as you have always known, will wholeheartedly and faithfully support all genuine efforts to activate the Arab role, out of its belief that joint Arab approaches are the best means to care for our interests, provide collective protection for our peoples and advance development with big strides forward.

Thank you,

May Allah’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.