Cairo appreciates historic brotherly bonds with Khartoum
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok reviewed Thursday the latest developments regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and joint efforts between Egypt and Sudan in this respect. They agreed to intensify close coordination in the light of the current delicate stage in the GERD file and to strengthen contacts with regional and international parties to activate the proposal tabled by Sudan to form an international quartet to mediate a solution.
President Sisi, who received Sudanese Prime Minister Hamdok in Cairo yesterday, also called for close coordination to help reach a comprehensive and binding legal agreement on the rules for filling and operating the Dam before the start of the next rainy season, Presidency Spokesman Ambassador Bassam Radi said.
The meeting also tackled ways to advance bilateral co-operation in various fields, especially with regard to transferring the Egyptian expertise in economic reform to Sudan and training its cadres.
The two leaders also discussed the projects of electricity interconnection and rail linkage set to be implemented between the two countries.
President Sisi also called for promoting a favourable climate for the establishment of joint investment projects, whether industrial or agricultural as well as pushing forward trade and economic relations between the two countries and activating the joint technical committees and the memorandums of understanding and protocols concluded between the two countries.
President Sisi affirmed Egypt’s continuous support to Sudan through co-operation and coordination in all files of mutual interest and highlighted the importance of the current visit of the Sudanese prime minister to Cairo to follow up on various aspects of bilateral relations and co-operation projects proposed between the two sides.
The president also asserted the need to turn and political will into realistic implementation steps to enhance bilateral co-operation, making it a model for the rest of the region.
For his part, Prime Minister Hamdok praised the fruitful results of President Sisi’s recent visit to Sudan, stressing the special Egyptian-Sudanese relations and the pride of the Sudanese people and government for the historical ties. He noted that Egypt plays a pivotal role in the Arab region and the African continent as a pillar for maintaining regional security and stability.
PM Hamdok also praised in this context the sincere and extended Egyptian stances to preserve the stability of Sudan during the transitional phase.
The meeting also included an exchange of views on the overall regional issues in the Horn of Africa and the Nile Basin region as President Sisi was briefed by PM Hamdok on the latest developments in the current tensions on the Sudanese-Ethiopian borders.
