Full speech of Sisi during his official visit to Sudan

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi gave a speech during his official visit to Sudan on Saturday.

Here is the full text of Sisi's speech: 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

My brother, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Chairman of the Sovereignty Council in the sisterly Republic of Sudan,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the outset, I would like to express my great pleasure to be with you today in Khartoum.

I would also like to thank my brother His Excellency Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the brotherly people of Sudan for the warm reception, generosity and hospitality in my second country, Sudan, and the traditions of its great people, who have always connected with Egypt with the bonds of unity of destiny throughout the history of the two countries and in accordance with their link extending from the south of the Nile Valley to its north, and with the intermingling of their two brotherly peoples, which has never been interrupted and will continue and remain, God willing.

I would like to convey to the brotherly Sudan leadership, government and people a message of brotherhood and support from the Egyptian people, their government and their leadership in all fields, as an expression of our sincere support for the great efforts made by the brothers in Sudan to manage the current transitional phase and face its challenges with courage, vision and determination to move forward towards a better future.

I am also pleased to congratulate our brothers in Sudan for the historic achievement of signing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which was achieved after great efforts that were successful as a result of the dedication of all Sudanese parties and their eagerness to enter into the dear Sudanese homeland a new era of peace, development and prosperity that includes all the people of Sudan.

I would like to assure you that Egypt will always support you for the development, stability and prosperity of the brotherly people of Sudan, which is an integral part of the security and stability of your brothers in the northern valley.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The bilateral relations between Egypt and Sudan have witnessed a momentum worthy of praise over the past period, which is represented in the improvement of the level of coordination between the governments of the two countries through mutual visits and intensive and continuous consultations.

It is an effort that aims to intensify political coordination between the two countries and implement projects in a number of vital areas, including electrical interconnection, railways, trade, cultural and scientific exchange, and cooperation in the fields of health, agriculture, industry, mining and other areas in order to achieve the desired integration goal between the two countries and to exploit the huge potentials of the two countries in the interest of the two brotherly peoples.

Our meeting today came as a continuation of these efforts and an endeavor to develop an integrated strategic framework and a common perception of the various aspects and areas of cooperation and ways to advance them, reflecting the convergence of our strong political will in this regard and paving the way for a new phase of an intense joint effort that meets the interests and aspirations of our two brotherly peoples.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, I have discussed with my dear brother His Excellency President Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan a number of issues of common concern on the regional and international arenas, within the framework of the close connection between the Egyptian and Sudanese national security and in an effort to unify the joint efforts between our two countries aimed at achieving stability on the Arab and African arenas.

We also discussed the developments of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations, which is a file that touches the core of the vital interests of Egypt and Sudan, as the two downstream countries in the Nile Basin, which will be directly affected by this huge project. We also agreed on the importance of continuing close coordination and consultation between us in this regard.

We stressed the imperative of returning to serious and effective negotiations with the aim of reaching - at the earliest possible opportunity and before the next flood season - to a fair, balanced and legally binding agreement regarding the filling and operation of the Renaissance Dam in a manner that fulfills the interests of the three countries and strengthens the bonds of cooperation and integration between our country and our peoples.

Our visions coincided with the rejection of any approach based on seeking to impose a fait accompli and to extend control over the Blue Nile through unilateral measures that do not take into account the interests and rights of the two downstream countries, which was embodied in Ethiopia's declaration of its intention to implement the second phase of filling the dam even if we did not reach an agreement that organizes the filling and operating, a measure that may threaten serious damage to the interests of Egypt and Sudan.

Hence, we discussed ways to relaunch the path of negotiations through the formation of an international quartet that includes the African Union, the United States and the European Union, as well as the United Nations, to mediate the negotiation process, a mechanism proposed by Sudan and supported by Egypt, which aims to support the efforts of President Felix Tshisekedi, president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Finally, I would like to express once again my great happiness to be here today among the brothers in Sudan and to renew my deep thanks for the hospitality I received from your Excellency and to express my full confidence that the next stage of joint work and cooperation between our two countries will continue in various fields guided by the common vision, clear determination, solid political will and sincere efforts for the benefit of the two great peoples, but rather the people of the Nile Valley in the two countries of Egypt and Sudan.

Thank you,

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