CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has affirmed the strength of relations between Egypt and the UAE at a meeting of top officials in Cairo.

“The depth of relations between Egypt and the UAE … represent a pillar for the stability of the Middle East and the Arab world,” said El-Sisi, at a reception with Lt. Gen. Hamad Mohammed Thani Al-Rumaithi, chief of staff of the UAE Armed Forces, in the presence of Lt. Gen. Mohamed Zaki, minister of defense of Egypt, along with Mariam Al-Kaabi, the UAE ambassador in Cairo.

Bassam Rady, spokesman for the Egyptian presidency, stated that El-Sisi asked to convey his greetings to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, president of the UAE, stressing the importance of relations between the pair for the entire Arab world, according to the Middle East News Agency.

Al-Rumaithi conveyed the greetings and appreciation of Sheikh Mohammed, stressing the depth of the historical relations between the two countries and peoples.

He also stressed the UAE’s keenness to “strengthen the frameworks of strategic cooperation between the two countries at various levels, especially with regard to the exchange of experiences in the military field, in addition to continuing the process of joint work and intensive coordination with Egypt on various regional and international issues.”

It was agreed during the meeting to continue coordination and consultation between Egypt and the UAE with regard to security, in harmony with complex bilateral relations in all fields and levels, in the interest of Arab solidarity.

According to a statement by Egyptian military spokesman Gharib Abdel Hafez, the two defense chiefs also met separately to discuss regional and international developments and their impact on the security and stability in the Middle East.