Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held talks with his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Schallenberg, in Cairo on Sunday.
They both underscored the depth of bilateral cooperation in various fields.
Following official talks, Shoukry and Schallenberg held a joint press conference in which they touched on several bilateral and regional issues, including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Schallenberg stressed that the Nile waters are a matter that concerns all countries through which the river runs.
“The Nile River should not be controlled by one state,” he added.
Moreover, he described Egypt as a key partner, underscoring the major role it plays, not only for Austria but also for the European Union.
Talks with Shoukry also tackled combating terrorism, illegal immigration and regional developments, as well as issues that concern the EU, Egypt and Austria.
“We discussed the dire consequences that shook the world due to the Russian-Ukrainian war and the global food crisis resulting from this war,” stated Schallenberg, noting that the EU has allocated 100 million euros in aid to address the crisis.
Shoukry, for his part, described the relations between Cairo and Vienna as “historic” and based on friendship, pointing to Austria’s efforts to resolve the Palestinian cause.
He said discussions tackled means of bolstering bilateral ties in all fields and benefiting from the political ties to expand the economic cooperation.
He added that talks also focused on regional issues of common interest, including the Palestinian cause, the GERD dispute, and developments in Libya, Yemen, and Syria, as well as efforts to fight terrorism and achieve regional security and stability and the situation in Africa.
