Sisi Reviews Latest Developments on GERD

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi received a high-level World Bank delegation on Saturday and tackled negotiations of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, known as GERD. Minister of International Cooperation Dr. Rania El Mashat attended the meeting which was held in Cairo.

“President Sisi stressed Egypt’s keenness on fostering fruitful cooperation with the World Bank in the light of Cairo’s developmental efforts,” said Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady.

Regarding GERD issue, Sisi reviewed latest developments of the Nile Basin countries’ negotiations.

“President Sisi affirmed difference between the right to development and the right to life and existence,” Rady added.

President Sisi welcomed the visit of the World Bank delegation, which comes for the first time since 2014, stressing the aspiration for continued fruitful cooperation between Egypt and the World Bank in the framework of the importance that Egypt attaches to developing its strategic relations with the World Bank Group in general as one of the most important Egypt's partners in development.

On their part, members of the World Bank delegation expressed their honor to meet the President, stressing the importance of Egypt's pivotal role in Africa and the Middle East region, and its success in overcoming the various challenges that the country faced during the past years with solid political will and remarkable popular solidarity.

The WB delegation also clarified that they have monitored profound positive changes in Egypt since their visit in 2014, and that their current visit to Cairo aims to review the efforts of the Egyptian government for economic reform, as well as conducting field visits to the various development projects that the bank contributes to in Egypt.

They also are planning to discuss Egypt's vision towards ways to achieve growth in Africa.

“The delegation stressed the World Bank's keenness to continue implementing cooperation and development programs with Egypt, which contributes to supporting its development efforts, as well as cooperation to support development projects in the African continent,” Rady noted.