Egypt’s Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said relationship with Saudi Arabia is “good and solid” after diplomatic tensions arose recently between the two countries.

Egypt’s Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said relationship with Saudi Arabia is “good and solid” after diplomatic tensions arose recently between the two countries, Al-Ahram newspaper reported on Friday.

Ismail made his statement to Al-Ahram after signs of tension surfaced between Egypt and Saudi Arabia over Cairo’s votes on two rival UN Security Council resolutions on Syria last week. Cairo vetoed a Security Council resolution in favor of a decision espoused by Russia, which holds an opposite stance to that of Saudi Arabia and other Arab states on Syria.

Following the Security Council incident, the Saudi ambassador left Egypt for a three-day visit to the kingdom while Saudi oil company Aramco did not deliver the monthly shipments of refined petroleum products to Cairo for October.

However, Ismail said deliberations and exchange of points of view between the two countries is “normal and supports the two countries’ relationship.”

He also said that Aramco had “a number of technical issues regarding its monthly oil shipment, which was discussed with the Egyptian oil ministry.” He added that these issues will not affect oil deals with Aramco.

Since the toppling of President Mohammed Mursi in July 2013, Saudi Arabia was a big supporter of Egypt’s new government. Saudi funded Egypt with billions of dollars in aid, oil products and cash deposits.

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