Sudan-Egypt relations forever sacred: Sudanese FM

CAIRO – 8 February 2018: Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour announced the imminent return of the ambassador to Egypt, confirming that Egyptian-Sudanese relations are sacred and will not be ruined.

During the joint press conference with his Sudanese counterpart Ghandour, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that the quarter meetings addressed regional and international issues, including issues relating to the Nile basin and water security. He added that the two parties agreed on the importance of having regular meetings between the two sides and to establish a presidential committee in Khartoum.

Shoukry and Ghandour voiced their concerns over the verbal jousting taking place between Sudanese and Egyptian media outlets and agreed to establish a joint media honor code.

Shoukry also affirmed that the meetings discussed enhancing military cooperation; with investing in the economy and energy sectors high on the list of topics.

He underscored that the meetings were aimed at eliminating all differences between the two countries and reaching consensual solutions on all issues under debate.

Also, the meetings highly recommended the quick activation of all mutual committees, including: the Consular Committee, the Trade Commission, the Joint Technical Commission for Nile Water, the Nile River Navigation Authority and the Border Crossings Committee. Shourky's announcement added that the participants stressed the importance of quickly convening the security and military joint committees.

On February 8, Egypt hosted a quartet meeting of Sudanese and Egyptian foreign ministers and heads of intelligence, which concluded with the issuing of a joint statement that affirmed the two parties’ desire to boost coordination at the highest level.

The meetings were held following a call from President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi after a closed session he held with his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir this month on the sidelines of the 30th African Summit in Addis Ababa, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zaid added in Thursday’s statement.

Renaissance Dam

Concerning the long-standing rift between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan concerning the establishment of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Ghandour announced that the meetings recommended having a tripartite summit in Khartoum at the ministerial level.

Egypt has previously announced its approval of the report prepared by PRL Consulting, on the guidelines that it should be followed when conducting studies on the effects of the dam. However, Ethiopia and Sudan rejected the findings of the report, which has crippled the continuation of the studies necessary for the establishment of the dam.

Suakin Island

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour denied on Thursday that the Sudanese leadership has any intention of establishing a Turkish military base on Suakin Island, affirming that “it is a pure Sudanese property for Sudanese people only.”

"There is neither an intention to establish a Turkish base in Suakin, or any other place in Sudan," Ghandour stated during a joint press conference with Egypt's Foreign Minister on Thursday.

Ghandour affirmed that the island was the subject of talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Khartoum on December 24, where he proposed the restoration of the island's old houses in order to benefit from tourism, to his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir.

Suakin is a port city in northeast Sudan on the Red Sea. The port was conquered by Turkish (Ottoman) Sultan Selim I in 1517.