CAIRO – 13 May 2026: Egypt and Uganda issued a joint statement on the occasion of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s visit to Entebbe on Wednesday.
The statement noted that, at the invitation of Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi undertook an official visit to Uganda on 13 May 2026.
President El-Sisi was accompanied by Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptian Expatriates, and Hani Sewilam, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The two heads of state held cordial and productive bilateral discussions in an atmosphere of friendship and mutual understanding, reflecting the longstanding and brotherly relations between Uganda and Egypt.
President El-Sisi congratulated his brother, President Museveni, on his victory in the presidential elections, which were conducted through a free, fair, and transparent electoral process.
The two leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries to deliver tangible benefits to their peoples.
In this regard, the two leaders directed their respective institutions to operationalize the outcomes of President Museveni’s historic visit to Egypt in August 2025 and build on previous bilateral agreements and communiqués to achieve mutual benefits for their peoples.
The statement added that the two leaders pledged to work in close coordination to champion African interests on the international stage, including advocating for a more equitable and fair global governance architecture and reforming the UN Security Council in accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus, as well as reforming international financial institutions.
The two leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation to promote peace, development, integration, and the achievement of the goals set out in Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through cooperation in relevant regional, continental, and international fora, including the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, the African Union, and the United Nations.
The two presidents expressed satisfaction with the growing economic relations between the two countries and directed their respective institutions to prioritize trade and investment in high-impact sectors, including agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, integrated water resources management, and critical infrastructure.
Emphasizing the private sector as the primary driver of economic transformation, the two leaders welcomed the fruitful outcomes of the “Invest in Uganda” forum recently held in Cairo in April 2026 and directed that a Uganda-Egypt Business Forum be organized alongside the next Joint Permanent Commission (JMC) in Kampala in August 2026.
They further directed the relevant institutions to fast-track the establishment of a Joint Business Council to facilitate seamless trade.
The two leaders discussed various efforts to advance peace and security in East Africa, the Great Lakes region, and the Horn of Africa.
In this regard, they exchanged views on the situations in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and reaffirmed their support for the peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue, including African-led processes, as well as adherence to the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence, in line with the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the Charter of the United Nations.
The two heads of state underscored the importance of promoting sustainable hydropower development to achieve industrialization and socio-economic transformation while safeguarding the integrity of ecosystems and watersheds that underpin the long-term availability of water resources in the Nile Basin.
In that regard, the Egyptian side reaffirmed its readiness to finance and mobilize funding for water-related infrastructure projects in Uganda within the Nile Basin through the Nile Development Fund to achieve mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable water resources management and strengthening basin-wide cohesion across the Nile Basin through enhanced cooperation. In this regard, they agreed to advance actions in integrated water resources management, watershed protection, and climate-resilient water infrastructure to ensure reliable river flows for vital human needs, hydropower generation, agriculture, and domestic use, consistent with the obligation not to cause significant harm and the principle of equitable and reasonable utilization.
The two leaders welcomed the progress report of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) Special Committee tasked with engaging NBI member states that have not ratified the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA). They also reaffirmed their commitment to supporting continued engagement aimed at promoting consensus, inclusivity, and win-win cooperation among Nile Basin states.
They underscored the importance of continued implementation of existing bilateral agreements and MoUs and directed relevant institutions to expedite negotiations on pending cooperation instruments in areas of mutual interest, including the MoU on cooperation in immigration matters and the labor agreement.
President Museveni expressed appreciation to President El-Sisi for Egypt’s continued support for Uganda’s development agenda.
President El-Sisi thanked President Museveni and the government and people of Uganda for the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation.
President El-Sisi also reaffirmed the invitation extended to President Museveni to participate in the African Union Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, scheduled to be held in El Alamein, Egypt, on 27 June 2026, as well as the African Business Forum, which will be held on the sidelines of the meeting with the participation of prominent Ugandan private sector representatives.
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