Safeguarding the Red Sea: Symposium Calls for Yemen-Egypt Cooperation

Cairo recently hosted a significant symposium titled “The Silk Road and International Trade across the Red Sea… Challenges and Approaches,” organized by the Mokha Center for Strategic Studies in collaboration with the Al-Hewar Center for Political and Media Studies, the Egyptian Media Forum, and the Egyptian Maritime Salon. This event was sponsored by Minister Mervat Al-Talawi, a former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Executive Secretary of ESCWA, and former Minister of Social Affairs. The symposium highlighted the growing importance of the Red Sea as a crucial international trade route, particularly in the context of the expanding “Belt and Road” initiative.

Ateq Jarallah, head of the Mokha Center for Strategic Studies, presented a paper emphasizing the significance of Bab al-Mandab as a key global maritime port. He stressed that stability and internal peace in Yemen would enhance security in the Red Sea and facilitate the Belt and Road Maritime Project.

Senior politicians and experts at the symposium discussed various challenges facing maritime navigation in the Red Sea and explored ways to improve security and stability in the region. Discussions highlighted the critical role of Egypt in ensuring the security and stability of the Red Sea, particularly given the threats the area faces. The strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab in global trade was underscored, along with the positive impact that peace and stability in Yemen would have on Red Sea security and navigation. The Belt and Road Initiative was recognized as a significant opportunity for enhancing cooperation and trade among countries bordering the Red Sea.

Participants called for united international and regional efforts to address challenges in the Red Sea and ensure freedom of navigation. They emphasized the need for strengthened cooperation between Egypt and Yemen, as well as other countries along the Red Sea, asserting that the security of the Red Sea is a shared responsibility.

The symposium concluded with several key recommendations:

• Affirming that Red Sea security is integral to both Arab and international security.
• Calling for regional and international cooperation to reduce tensions and enhance stability in the region.
• Commending Egypt’s efforts to foster cooperation with Red Sea countries and support freedom of navigation.
• Supporting Egyptian efforts to achieve a sustainable political solution to the Yemen crisis.
• Endorsing the Belt and Road Initiative to boost trade and cooperation in the Red Sea region.
• Recognizing the contributions of Egyptian diplomacy in promoting regional and international cooperation and supporting Arab issues.
• Stressing the necessity of coordinated regional and international efforts to protect international trade in the Red Sea.