• 01:59
  • Thursday ,11 September 2014
العربية

Jeddah talks expected to support Egypt's efforts in fighting terrorism: foreign minister

By Aswat Masriya

Copts and Poliltical Islam

00:09

Thursday ,11 September 2014

 
Jeddah talks expected to support Egypt's efforts in fighting terrorism: foreign minister

Foreign Minister Sameh Shokri said on Wednesday he expects the Arab international convention hosted by Saudi Arabia to support Egypt's efforts in fighting terrorism.

The scheduled talks, due to be held in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah on Thursday, will review means of combating extremist groups within the region.

During a joint press conference with his Burkinabe counterpart Yipene Bassole, Shokri said Egypt is expecting that "all forms of terrorism in all regions are equally addressed," reported state-run news agency MENA.

Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday it will hold talks about militant violence within the region on Thursday. The talks, attended by representatives from the United States and Muslim countries, will determine the nature of the alliance expected to be formed to face the threat of the Islamic State, an extremist group currently active on the Iraqi border with Syria.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Badr Abdelatty told Aswat Masriya that during the Thursday convention, Egypt will "present a comprehensive vision for combating terrorism through addressing political, security, intellectual and cultural aspects."

The U.S. is pursuing the formation of an Arab alliance to resist the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). U.S. president Barack Obama has called on Arab countries to consider a joint military operation to fight ISIL. Obama has ordered the launch of airstrikes targeting ISIL in Iraq.

Abdelatty said that Egypt's ruling authorities are yet to decide whether the state will be part of a military operation against the ISIL.

Shokri stressed the importance of developing an international strategy for fighting terrorism in all areas where the phenomenon has proliferated.

The U.S. president is expected to lay out a plan to combat the ISIL during a speech in memory of the September 11 attacks' 13th anniversary on Wednesday.

ISIL have controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria recently. They have carried out a number of mass executions and beheaded two American journalists.