Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged his Somali counterpart on Monday to step up efforts to secure the release and ensure the safety of eight Egyptian sailors being held aboard a vessel off the Somali coast, as Cairo continues diplomatic efforts to resolve the months-long hostage crisis.
During talks with Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali on the sidelines of the 166th session of the Arab League Council at ministerial level in Cairo, Abdelatty called for continued engagement by Somali authorities in the crisis and efforts to secure the sailors’ release.
The eight Egyptian sailors have been held aboard the MT Eureka since the vessel was hijacked earlier this year and taken towards Somali territorial waters.
Egypt has been in contact with Somali and Yemeni authorities, as well as the vessel’s owner, in efforts to secure their release.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said last week that it was maintaining intensive contacts with the relevant authorities in Somalia and Yemen to secure the sailors’ swift release, ensure their safety and provide them with adequate living conditions until they can return home.
During Monday’s meeting, Abdelatty also stressed Egypt’s full support for Somalia’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the preservation of its national institutions, rejecting any unilateral measures that could undermine Somalia’s territorial unity or sovereignty.
He further reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to supporting efforts to build Somalia’s state institutions and strengthen their capabilities, stressing the importance of working with international partners to secure sustainable funding for the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), in light of Egypt’s participation in the mission.
The two ministers also discussed ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership between Egypt and Somalia across economic, development, and investment fields.
Source:Ahram Online
