Egypt, Mauritania Discuss Cooperation in Fighting Terrorism

Sisi receives Mauritania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug in Cairo. (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi receives Mauritania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug in Cairo. (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt, Mauritania Discuss Cooperation in Fighting Terrorism

Sisi receives Mauritania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug in Cairo. (Egyptian Presidency)
Sisi receives Mauritania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug in Cairo. (Egyptian Presidency)

Egyptian and Mauritanian officials expressed on Tuesday keenness on cooperation in “fighting terrorism”.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received in Cairo Mauritania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the Chargé d'Affaires of the Mauritanian Embassy in Cairo attended the meeting.

Spokesman for the Presidency, Ahmad Fahmy said the Mauritanian FM handed Sisi a letter from Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, who expressed his country’s appreciation for Egypt’s leadership and people and for its leading role on the Arab and African levels.

He underscored the commitment to fostering closer bilateral relations across various fields, and to benefiting from the remarkable developmental experience in Egypt in recent years.

For his part, Sisi said Egypt looks forward to activating frameworks of joint cooperation at various levels, particularly in developmental sectors, where Egyptian companies have gained great expertise in recent years.

Moreover, Sisi stressed Egypt’s keenness on providing assistance in the development and building of capacities and cadres in Mauritania in all areas.

During the meeting, there was an exchange of views on several Arab and regional issues as the two countries seek to boost joint Arab action.

During a meeting between the foreign ministers at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry headquarters, Shoukry stressed the need to maintain cooperation between their countries in combating terrorism.

Shoukry stressed Egypt's openness to secure technical support for Mauritania in various vital sectors, including industry, health, and education. He referred to the scholarships offered to Mauritanian students to study at Egyptian universities and Al Azhar.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said Shoukry highlighted the continued development in Egyptian-Mauritanian ties.

The ministers discussed regional issues of mutual concern, mainly the crises of Sudan, Libya, and Syria, agreeing on working closely to push forward cooperation.



WHO: Crew Member Suffered Serious Injury in Yemen Airport Strike

A man walks past a damaged building of Sanaa Airport, one day after Israeli airstrikes hit the airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, December 27, 2024. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
A man walks past a damaged building of Sanaa Airport, one day after Israeli airstrikes hit the airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, December 27, 2024. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
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WHO: Crew Member Suffered Serious Injury in Yemen Airport Strike

A man walks past a damaged building of Sanaa Airport, one day after Israeli airstrikes hit the airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, December 27, 2024. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
A man walks past a damaged building of Sanaa Airport, one day after Israeli airstrikes hit the airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, December 27, 2024. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

The UN air crew member hurt in an airstrike on Yemen's main international airport on Thursday suffered serious injuries but is now recovering in hospital, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization said on Friday.

Israel said it struck multiple targets linked to the Iran-aligned Houthi militias in Yemen, including Sanaa International Airport, and Houthi media said at least six people were killed.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was in the airport waiting to depart when the aerial bombardment took place and said that a member of his plane's crew was injured.

The injured man, who worked for the UN Humanitarian Air Service, had to be operated on, the WHO spokesperson said. He appeared to be recovering satisfactorily, the person added.

Tedros, who was in Yemen to negotiate the release of detained UN staff and to assess the humanitarian situation, would continue working in the country until his flight is able to depart, the WHO spokesperson said.

That could be on Friday, but no decision has yet been made, the WHO spokesperson said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with Channel 14 that Israel was only at the beginning of its campaign against the Houthis. "We are just getting started with them," he said.