Egypt's parliament has final say on Red Sea island deal

Egyptian parliament speaker Abdel-Aal said in his first-ever TV interview on Monday that it is parliament that will have the final say on the Red Sea island agreement with Saudi Arabia, despite the recent court ruling voiding the deal.

“I insist that it is parliament that will finally decide whether this agreement goes in line with the constitution and whether Egypt would be ceding part of its land,” Abdel-Aal told the DMC TV channel on Monday evening.

Abdel-Aal's interview came hours after Egypt's High Administrative Court ruled that the two Red Sea islands should remain in Egyptian hands and should not be transferred to Saudi Arabia.

The maritime border demarcation agreement, which would relinquish control of the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia, was signed by the governments of the two countries during a visit by Saudi King Salman to Cairo on 8 April 2016.
 [ahram.org.eg]
17/1/17
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