Israeli Prime minister Naftali Bennet on Tuesday met with Egypt president Abdel Fattah al-sisi and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al–Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in Sharm el-sheikh, Egypt. The talks were centered around the “implications of global developments, particularly with regard to energy, market stability and food security, as well as the exchange of insights and views on the latest developments on a number of international and regional issues” according to the Egyptian presidency. Both parties share concerns about Iran and that was one of the agendas in the summit along with food and energy markets amid the Russia–Ukraine crisis.
“Against the backdrop of the recent developments in the world and the region, the leaders discussed the ties between the three countries and ways to strengthen them on all levels,” said a statement from Bennett‘s office.
Under food security, Cairo is the world’s biggest wheat importer sourcing from Russia and Ukraine. Amid the crisis, however, concerns are rising since imports are essentially disrupted accompanied by a sharp rise in prices.
The tripartite summit also focussed on Iran nuclear talks which comes after Washington’s decision to remove Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from the list of terrorist organizations in exchange for Iran to limit the elite force.
Both countries are allies to the US and are part of a pro Arab–Israeli nexus that seeks to counter-balance Iranian Power. “We clearly see the strengthening of an axis that offers another narrative in the Middle East: that we can work together and cooperate on economic and defense matters,” Idan Roll, Israel‘s deputy foreign minister, told Kann radio as reported by DW.
Bennet’s visit to Egypt also comes months after last September’s when Bennett visited Egypt and discussed bilateral relations, security, and the economy with Fattah el-Sisi, in the first official trip by an Israeli head of government to the country in a decade.
