Riyadh Gov. Prince Sattam receives head of an Egyptian delegation led by Assembly Speaker Mohammed Al-Katatni. (SPA)
By RIYADH: GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN
Published: May 4, 2012 01:48 Updated: May 4, 2012 01:48
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will hold talks with a high-profile Egyptian parliamentary delegation here Friday in a bid to repair strained ties between the two nations, Saudi and Egyptian officials said here yesterday.
The Egyptian delegation, headed by People’s Assembly Speaker Mohammed Al-Katatni and Shoura Council Speaker Ahmed Fahmy, held talks last night with Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal. Prince Saud welcomed the team and praised the contribution of the Egyptian community in the Kingdom in the country’s development. He said Egyptians living in the Kingdom were law-abiding and peaceful.
The team will hold talks today with some high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Shoura Council. The delegation was received at Riyadh Air Base by Riyadh Gov. Prince Sattam; Shoura Chairman Abdullah Al-Asheikh; Minister of Culture and Information Abdulaziz Khoja; Undersecretary of Royal Protocol Abdulaziz Al-Aqeeli; Saudi Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the Arab League Ahmed Qattan; and Commander of Riyadh Air Base Maj. Gen. Abdul-Latif Al-Shuraim.
Asked about the composition of the Egyptian delegation, Nabeel Baker, a spokesman of the Egyptian Embassy, said: “There are about 39 parliamentarians from Egypt’s upper and lower houses of Parliament besides statesmen, journalist and academics from Al-Azhar University.”
The visit of the Egyptian delegation, which includes top figures of the Muslim Brotherhood, is the first of its kind in the history of Saudi-Egyptian relations.
“The mission of this Egyptian parliamentarian group is to explore with Saudi officials on how to bridge the rift and remove misunderstandings on both sides,” said the embassy’s spokesman.