CAIRO — Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa traveled to Egypt on Nov. 7 and met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for the second time this year. The men touched on crises plaguing some Arab countries and efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.
After the visit, the Egyptian presidency issued a statement noting how the Bahraini king had praised “Egypt's pioneering historical role in protecting Arab ... security, defending Arab issues and interests, and strengthening the foundations of peace, security and stability in the Middle East region.” The king further stressed his keenness to develop new bilateral cooperation with Egypt in various fields.
During the meeting, Sisi reiterated Egypt's “unwavering stance toward the security of the Arabian Gulf region as an integral part of Egypt's national security.”
Khalifa also had met with Sisi in May in Cairo to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional challenges. The visit coincided with the assault on four vessels near the United Arab Emirates (UAE) coast. The UAE announced June 7 that an investigation showed “a state” had carried out the attacks, but officials have yet to name the alleged perpetrator. On May 29, then-US national security adviser John Bolton accused Iran of being behind the assault. On the same day, Tehran ridiculed the accusation.
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