Egyptian, Qatari military talks address regional security challenges

By Ibrahim Khazen

CAIRO (AA) - The Egyptian military announced on Saturday that General Ahmed Khalifa, chief of staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces, held talks in Qatar focused on regional security challenges and developments.

According to a statement by Colonel Gharib Abdel Hafiz, a spokesperson for the Egyptian military, General Khalifa returned to Egypt following his official visit to Qatar. The duration of the visit was not specified.

During his visit, General Khalifa met with Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah, Qatar's deputy prime minister and minister of state for defense.

The meeting covered “several topics of mutual interest, resulting in an agreement on the regional security situation and the need for coordinated efforts to address these challenges.”

General Khalifa also met with Qatari Chief of Staff General Salem al-Nabet, on the sidelines of the second meeting of the Egyptian-Qatari Military Committee. The meeting highlighted the committee's progress and achievements in various military areas.

The discussions included “plans to enhance military cooperation through training and the exchange of expertise between the two countries.” The Qatari Chief of Staff expressed his country's commitment to furthering military collaboration with Egypt in the future.

On Thursday, the Qatari Defense Ministry issued separate statements on the meetings, underscoring the focus on “strengthening military ties between Qatar and Egypt.”

Both Qatar and Egypt along with the US are involved in mediation talks to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a hostage swap deal and a cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.

But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’ demands to stop the war.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara