GERD is scientific issue, not political: Shoukry

CAIRO – 8 May 2018: Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry stressed Monday that the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a scientific issue and cannot be politically interpreted, calling on the other parties to accept the scientific facts and not be politically biased, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid.

During a press conference with his Ugandan counterpart, Sam Kahamba Kutesa, Shoukry remarked that the talks on the technical issues of GERD were stalled due to Ethiopia’s and Sudan’s stance towards the preliminary report.

He mentioned that Egypt suggested including the World Bank as a neutral mediator in the tripartite technical committee’s talks on the GERD.

He discussed with his Ugandan counterpart several regional issues, including the Nile issue, the recent developments in the GERD negotiations, African Union reforms and Uganda’s participation in the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) peacekeeping forces, along with a project linking Lake Victoria and Mediterranean Sea.

Abu Zeid said that Shoukry referred to the available opportunities to launch common public and private projects between the two states in the water and electrical fields.

He added that the Egyptian private sector is willing to increase its investments in Uganda. He referred to an Egyptian company that is conducting a study to establish several projects, estimated as $300 million, in the field of electricity and energy, which is considered an impetus for the Ugandan Business Forum, scheduled to be held in Cairo on May 8 as a part of Egypt’s attempt to increase trade exchange with Uganda.

Abu Zeid further remarked that Shoukry stressed on Egypt’s support for the development occurring in Uganda, adding that around 230 Ugandan trainees have benefitted from the training programs launched by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development in the past two years in different fields, such as health, energy, environment, agriculture, mining, combating terrorism, security, defense and water resources management.

Additionally, Shoukry mentioned that the Ministry of Electricity and Energy has provided training for 240 Ugandan trainees over the last few years.

In the same context, Minister of Defense Sedki Sobhi met on Monday with visiting Ugandan Minister of State for Defense and Veteran Affairs Rwamirama Bright Kanyontore.

The meeting touched on the latest regional and international developments along with their repercussions on security and stability in the African continent.

Both ministers discussed a number of issues of mutual concern in light of the cooperation ties binding the armed forces of both countries.

They also tackled means to benefit from the Egyptian military expertise in view of developing domains of care and services offered to veterans and those who were injured in military operations.

Sobhi asserted the deep-rooted ties binding all peoples of the Nile Valley, voicing Egypt's keenness on cooperating and exchanging expertise with brotherly countries for the sake of all African peoples.