Egypt's FM: Qatar-Egypt Ties will see an "Economic Leap"

Doha, April 18 (QNA) -Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr has highly lauded the Egyptian- Qatari ties which he described as going to see an economic leap in the upcoming period, and more collaborations in the areas of investment and economy. Kamel Amr said in an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) Wednesday on the sidelines of the Arab Ministerial Committee on Syria held earlier Tuesday in Qatar that Qatar and Egypt are in a continuous economic discussions and non-stop talks regarding economic ties. Asked about the Egyptian - GCC relations in general, Amr confirmed,'' The issue of Gulf security is a strategic affairs for Egypt, and vice versa'' adding ,'' The security situation in Egypt and the Gulf area are interrellated and linked together and that Egypt's political and economic relations with the Gulf area are strong. Speaking whether the final statement issued by Arab Ministerial Committee on Syria is fairly enough and sufficient to end the suffering of people in Syria, FM Amr said the continuous violence in Syria is not accepted stressing that Egypt adopted a clear stance towards ending the bloodshed in Syria and starting peaceful talks as it, Egypt, doesn't believe a military solution would be efficient to resolve the crisis. Egypt s FM made clear that the UN-Arab league joint envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan s gaining an international respect on his appearance on the Syrian crisis due to his wide experience as a broker between the UN and the Arab league and his efforts to reach a solution regarding the violence in Syria through the implementation of his six- point peace plan. FM Amr hoped that Syria would respect the six point plan pointing to the optimism Annan showed during a meeting yesterday as he perceives that such issues to stop violence is often just a matter of time. Amr said that Egypt hopes the violence in Syria would stop as soon as possible, stressing that a military solution in Syria would be of no efficient results on the situation there. He affirmed that all cults of Syrian opposition should unite in order to be able to gain a powerful position in any future negotiations; noting meantime that the whole world will see them as a representation of the Syrian people. Being asked on the current instabilities in Southern Egypt due to the tensions between Northern and Southern Sudan, FM said Egypt s historic relations with Sudan led us to move forward helping them. ‘‘its Egypt s interest to solve the crisis there peacefully and rapidly'', Amr said. Kamel Amr further said that Egypt has immediately contacted Sudan's President Omar Al-Bashir and South Sudan's President Salva Kiir upon the latest developments of the issue of Heglig in order to reach a solution to the crisis through talks. By then he said that Field Marshal Hussien Tantawi, Head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has assigned him to meet with President Al Bashir, Sudan s Foreign Minister and members of negotiation delegation in Sudan where he, FM Amr, listened to their perspectives towards the issue of Heglig, the problems pending there including the border setting, security situation and the issue of oil. Amr noted that the visit to Sudan mainly aimed at finding out how both sides of Sudan perceive the Heglig Issue which would determine by itself Egypt s role in solving the crisis adding that both sides welcomed the Egyptian initiative in this context. He said that Egypt is currently pondering the outcomes of the talks and is figuring out some points to introduce to both sides in Sudan and if any approval found upon those points, Egypt will embark upon a reconciliation process. When asked on the validity of the news stories that some political powers in Egypt seek the cancellation of the Camp David accord between Egypt and Israel , Amr replied that Egypt reiterated its stance many times towards this issue before and that it respects the accords made with other countries as long as they are respecting them. FM Amr explained that there is no need to reconsider the Camp David-peace treaty- with Israel because Egypt respects its commitments, a context in which the current Egypt- Israel relations are running. (QNA)