Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty and Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam met Kenyan President William Ruto during an official visit to Kenya, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
The foreign minister conveyed greetings from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and delivered a written message underscoring Egypt’s appreciation for bilateral ties and Nairobi’s role in supporting security and stability in the Nile Basin and the Horn of Africa.
The two sides welcomed the elevation of relations to a strategic partnership and the signing of the “Cairo Declaration” during the Kenyan president’s visit to Egypt in late January 2025.
Abdelatty said Egypt is looking forward to hosting the eighth session of the joint commission in Cairo later this year and expanding cooperation in defense, security, counter-terrorism, water resources, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, logistics and maritime transport. He also highlighted efforts to boost trade and encourage Egyptian investment in Kenya, especially in infrastructure and road projects.
On water security, the foreign minister stressed the importance of cooperation and integration among Nile Basin countries to achieve mutual benefit, calling for consensus and adherence to international water law while rejecting unilateral measures.
Meantime, the minister of irrigation reaffirmed Egypt’s preparedness to enhance technical cooperation with Kenya in groundwater drilling, rainwater harvesting dams, modern irrigation systems and capacity building. Sewilam said Egypt welcomed supporting Kenyan dam projects through a new Egyptian financing mechanism with an initial allocation of dlrs 100 million for studies and implementation of dam projects in Southern Nile Basin countries.
For his part, Ruto asked that his greetings be conveyed to President Sisi and praised Egypt’s role in promoting security and stability in Africa and the Middle East, voicing Kenya’s commitment to further advancing the strategic partnership between the two countries, the statement said.
