British PM voices to Sisi support to resumption of GERD talks to reach fair solution

CAIRO – 21 July 2021: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson voiced to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi his support to the efforts of resuming the negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam with the aim of reaching a fair solution to the issue, the Presidency said.

In a phone call with Johnson on Tuesday, Sisi affirmed Egypt’s fixed stance to adhere to its historic rights in Nile water and protect its water security in the present and the future.

Sisi affirmed the need for the international community to shoulder its responsibilities to advance the negotiations process seriously and with a real political will to reach a comprehensive, fair and binding agreement on the filling and operation of the Renaissance Dam.

Sisi and Johnson agreed on the importance of developing cooperation in the security, military and intelligence fields, especially in terms of counterterrorism efforts and efforts to face illegal immigration and to secure borders.

They also agreed on furthering economic cooperation and attracting further British investments, especially in light of the positive developments the Egyptian economy has witnessed in light of the efforts made to encourage investments and the promising investment and industrial opportunities secured by ongoing national projects underway in Egypt.

The phone call discussed means to also enhance cooperation in the health and education sectors.

This includes benefiting from the British expertise in the education field and fostering cooperation programs between Egyptian and British universities.

Sisi and Johnson agreed to maximize cooperation in the health sector in a way that achieves the maximum benefit from the British excellence in this field.

This comes especially in light of the need for collaborative solidarity against the coronavirus pandemic.

This includes training specialized medical cadres, cooperation in manufacturing the coronavirus vaccines and the accurate exchange of information to organize travelling between the two countries.

Johnson and Sisi also discussed the developments of the Palestinian issue. The British premier hailed the Egyptian initiative of reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.

They also discussed the Libyan issue and affirmed the need for advancing the transitional political process the country is witnessing with the aim of settling the crisis permanently and holding the election by the end of the year as scheduled.

They also affirmed the need for the exit of mercenaries, militias and foreign forces from Libya and for preserving the unity and integrity of the Libyan national institutions in a way that curbs foreign interference.

Sisi and Johnson hailed the recent progress in the bilateral cooperation relations, affirming the importance of supporting and deepening these relations.

They also called for continuing cooperation and dialogue to enhance coordination on regional and international issues, in light of the critical developments the Middle East, Africa and the world is witnessing.

They discussed climate issues and affirmed the need that for enhancing coordination so that the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, hosted by the UK by the end of the year, produce strong results that enhance the work of the international community in light of the ongoing climate crisis.

They also affirmed that priority should be given to issues of adaptation to negative effects of climate change, and to support developing countries in obtaining financing to address climate change.