Sisi to participate in African Summit in Addis Ababa: MENA

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will take part in the 24th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa this week, state news agency MENA reported.

Al-Sisi will lead the Egyptian delegation at the summit, which starts on Friday.

Egypt’s membership of the continental body was suspended in 2013 after the ouster of Morsi, but restored last summer.

The theme of this year’s summit is the Year of Women Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry arrived in Addis Ababa on Monday for preliminary meetings with his counterparts from around Africa.

It is expected that the Egyptian president will hold meetings with African leaders, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

Egyptian-Ethiopian relations have been tense in recent years since Cairo raised concerns about the effect Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam project on the Blue Nile may have on Egypt’s water supply.

Ethiopia has repeatedly said that Egypt, a downstream country, will not be negatively affected by the under-construction dam.

Both countries, along with Sudan, which is also downstream from the dam, have agreed to commission a new report on the effects of the dam by a yet-to-be selected international consultancy firm.

Source: Ahram Online