Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Monday asserted Egypt’s full support for efforts by President of South Sudan Salva Kiir and all South Sudanese parties toward realizing peace in the country.
Despite the international economic challenges, Egypt will spare no effort to stand by the Republic of South Sudan and its brotherly people, particularly in the area of capacity-building and providing technical expertise in an array of fields, President Sisi said at a press conference with Kiir.
President Sisi and Salva Kiir discussed ways to enhance and further advance the joint political, military and security coordination during this critical phase the region is passing through.
They agreed to coordinate efforts in a manner that reinforces security and stability in the region and preserves the interests of peoples of both countries.
Following is president Sisi’s word at the press conference:
“I welcome you and your accompanying delegation today to your second country, Egypt, that shares with your brotherly country eternal bonds and a long history, during which Egypt has supported your dignified people’s aspirations for a better future.
This emanated from Egypt’s belief in their right to achieve their aspirations and fulfil their legitimate ambitions. I would like to emphasize to you, Your Excellency, our full appreciation for your efforts toward the stability and security of your country.
Today, I held in-depth and fruitful bilateral talks with my brother, President Salva Kiir, which demonstrated the two countries’ political will to strengthen the full-fledged strategic partnership between our countries in various fields.
I would like to confirm that despite the international economic challenges, Egypt will spare no effort to stand by the Republic of South Sudan and its brotherly people, particularly in the area of capacity-building and providing technical expertise in an array of fields.
During the talks, I also stressed Egypt’s full support for efforts by President Salva Kiir and all South Sudanese parties toward realizing peace in the country.
I would like to laud, in this regard, efforts exerted by the political actors in South Sudan to move ahead with the implementation of the electoral entitlement in December next year, and stress our full support for the government’s efforts to fulfil the aspirations of the brotherly people of South Sudan for peace, stability and development.
Today, we discussed ways to enhance and further advance the joint political, military and security coordination during this critical phase the region is passing through. We agreed to coordinate our efforts in a manner that reinforces security and stability in the region and preserves the interests of our peoples.
Within the framework of the ongoing and constructive dialogue, we deliberated on the Sudanese crisis and its repercussions on the region, notably on the direct neighboring countries, primarily Egypt and South Sudan.
We agreed to step-up efforts and contacts between us and the relevant parties inside Sudan, in order to find urgent solutions to the crisis and spare the Sudanese people further destruction and displacement.
We also agreed to call upon the various Sudanese parties to give priority to the supreme national interests of Sudan over any individual interests or foreign interventions, that would only deepen the problem, compound the suffering of the brotherly Sudanese people, and prolong the crisis.
We underscored the centrality of Egypt and South Sudan’s roles in the Sudanese crisis, affirming the importance of not neglecting this in any initiatives or efforts proposed to settle the crisis, particularly since the two countries are the most understanding of the nature of the crisis and its tribal complexities.
We emphasized the significance of the track of neighboring countries and the results emanating from their meetings to settle the crisis.
Our talks also tackled fostering closer cooperation between the two countries in the area of water resources and irrigation, as well as our joint efforts to leverage the resources of the Nile River. I affirmed Egypt’s vision, based on the belief that the Nile River should be a source of cooperation and development, as a lifeline for all the peoples of the Nile Basin countries.
We also reviewed developments in the Renaissance Dam dossier and the course of the ongoing negotiations, with the aim of reaching a legally-binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam.
I would like to seize this opportunity to assure the brotherly people of South Sudan that Egypt will always be the loyal friend and a brother committed to their interest. I would also like to affirm that Egypt is committed to providing all forms of support, through the existing mechanisms of cooperation between the two countries.
I also call on the international community to live up to its pledges and commitments to the state of South Sudan in its trajectory toward building a better future.”
