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Egypt\u2019s president reaffirmed the kingdom\u2019s inviolability in a high-level bilateral summit this week as regional leaders called for unrestricted freedom of navigation through vital naval chokepoints.<\/strong><\/p>\n President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Cairo would continue to stand by Saudi Arabia\u2019s security and stresses the regional security of the Gulf as part of Egypt\u2019s comprehensive defense doctrine.<\/p>\n During the Egyptian- Saudi talks in Cairo, the Egyptian leader denounced and rejected all external threats or attempts to undermine the kingdom\u2019s sovereignty, territorial integrity and regional security, presidential spokesman Mohamed al-Shennawy reported.<\/p>\n Both Egyptian and Saudi leaders agreed on the need to escalate the existing military and strategic cooperation and provide closer direct consultations to ensure the necessary coordination of operational security measures to preserve the two sides\u2019 shared sovereign and economic interests in the Middle East.<\/p>\n The summit was chiefly underscored by a joint declaration demanding an immediate end to any limitation on maritime navigation and maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea route.<\/p>\n For Cairo, safeguarding the Bab al-Mandeb strait is an economic requirement considering that is the closest southward point to the Suez Canal.<\/p>\n The maritime blockades caused by ongoing regional conflicts have slashed revenues from the canal to roughly $4.67 billion for the fiscal year 2025-2026, which is nearly halved from pre-attack dates of the Red Sea.<\/p>\n Riyadh and Cairo pledged to synchronize diplomacy and security strategies to restore the confidence of maritime shipping, reduce the global supply chain\u2019s risks and ensure the safe passage of commercial ships.<\/p>\n Additionally, Egyptian and Saudi leaders reiterated support for a two-state solution in Palestine according to accepted international consensus, US-backed UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and the international effort to stabilize Gaza and the West Bank while facilitating significant aid programs.<\/p>\n Both officials also reiterated backing for the territorial integrity, sovereignty, stability and sovereignty of Sudan and both refused to condone any counter-terrorism approach that would equate \u201cregular\u201d Sudanese armed forces with proxy militias or \u201cparallel\u201d armed forces.<\/p>\n As far as bilateral ties, Egyptian and Saudi officials committed to expanding trade, removing barriers to cross-border investment, and deepening economic cooperation to mirror the comfortable strategic ties between the two regional states.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n