Ethiopia, Egypt FMs discuss dam, bilateral ties at AU meeting

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met Friday with his Ethiopian counterpart in Addis Ababa, where they discussed Ethiopia’s under-construction Renaissance Dam and relations between the two countries, according to the Egyptian foreign ministry’s statement.

The two officials also discussed coordination in tackling African issues on the agenda of UN Security Council, of which both countries are members during this session, as well as issues on the African Union agenda.

Shoukry expressed Egypt’s wish to develop trilateral cooperation between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia, not only regarding the Nile and water issues, but also in mutual investments.

Ethiopian foreign minister Workneh Gebeyehu stressed the importance of the historic relations between the two countries, their eternal bond through the River Nile, and that the two countries should maintain positive relations, adding he wishes to visit Egypt soon.

Gebeyehu assured that his country would adhere to the terms reached in the negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan with regards to the Renaissance Dam.

Shoukry arrived in Ethiopia on Thursday to attend a ministerial-level African Union meeting ahead of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s participation in the AU’s 28th General Assembly by the end of this month.

The General Assembly, dubbed ‘Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth,’ kicked off in Addis Ababa on 22 January and will conclude on 31 January.

Aside from participating in the assembly’s official meetings and activities, Shoukry met on the sidelines with his African counterparts as well as AU commissioners, including from Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Burundi, Sudan and Algeria.

In a presidential-level AU meeting in July, President Sisi told his counterparts that there is no substitute for adopting a model of regional integration in Africa.

Sisi also advocated the creation of a free trade zone between AU countries.

Source: Ahram Online