Sisi to visit Sudan Saturday, discuss GERD

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi will visit Khartoum on Saturday to discuss a number of common files,  most notably the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), according to Egyptian well-known sources.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Maryam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi said earlier that the visit will discuss bilateral relations between Cairo and Khartoum and ways to develop them, common files, and regional and international issues of common interest.

[caption id="attachment_218286" align="aligncenter" width="850"] Sisi Receives Al-Mahdi- Press Photo[/caption]

The visit comes amid a major diplomatic and military movement between the two countries, following a significant visit last week by Al-Mahdi to Cairo where she met with Sisi, Foreign Minister Sameh Shourky and Mohamed Farid, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces.

During her two-day visit, an agreement was signed for joint cooperation in the fields of military training and coordination. .

During his meeting with the Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs in Cairo, Sisi affirmed Egypt's firm position on the imperative to reach a binding legal agreement regarding filling and operating the Renaissance Dam, taking into account not to harm the downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan.

Sisi announced his country's support for Sudan, stressing that "its security and stability are an integral part of Egypt's security and stability," and said that Cairo has a strategic approach to support all aspects of bilateral relations with Khartoum for the sake of cooperation, construction and development, in order to "consolidate the partnership and relations between the two peoples."

He also expressed Cairo's support for all efforts to promote peace and stability in Sudan during that pivotal stage in its history.

For his part, Al-Mahdi said that her country is looking forward to developing mutual efforts, to improve cooperation between the two countries.

In an indication of coordinating positions on the Renaissance Dam, the Foreign Ministers of Egypt and Sudan called on Ethiopia to show goodwill and engage in an effective negotiation process to reach a binding legal agreement regarding the filling and operation of the dam.

The two ministers expressed their earnest desire to achieve this goal as soon as possible.