Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir Mayardit agreed Sunday on the importance of pushing forward and expanding bilateral cooperation in all fields.
During a joint press conference after meeting in Cairo, Sisi pointed to the common political will to maintain and bolster ties in the future.
“We discussed means of strengthening and developing bilateral ties at various political, economic and security levels,” he added.
Sisi said they reviewed the outcomes of the first session of the joint higher committee that was held in Cairo in July and the opportunity it provided for coordination and consultation, in addition to the agreements signed in the field of irrigation and the development of trade and industry.
They agreed on the need to hold similar meetings regularly and follow up on the ongoing political consultations between both countries’ foreign ministries.
Sisi further pointed to their decision to increase the rates of bilateral trade exchange and Egyptian investments in South Sudan, facilitate the entry of Egyptian goods and intensify cooperation in the field of capacity building through training programs provided by Egypt in various fields.
They agreed to revive several Egyptian projects in South Sudan and launch new ones, increase the number of educational grants offered to the South Sudanese to study in Egyptian universities and refurbish Egyptian power stations in South Sudan.
Achieving regional security and stability and preserving the interests of the African peoples were among the topics tackled, Sisi added.
Discussions also touched on various aspects related to the Nile water issues and the existing and ongoing bilateral coordination in this regard, Sisi said, adding that they reviewed the current developments in the decade-long Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis.
He reiterated the need to reach a binding legal agreement to regulate the filling and operation of the dam, based on the rules of law and UN Security Council resolutions.
