CAIRO – 2 February 2021: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi congratulated his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa for his country's successful presidency of the African Union (AU) in 2020, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said.
In a phone call with Ramaphosa, Tuesday, President Sisi lauded South Africa's AU presidency in 2020 amid regional and international challenges, topped by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and its widespread and serious repercussions at the political, economic and social levels, the spokesman added.
The two sides also reviewed ongoing preparations for the annual AU Summit that will be held via video conferencing.
For his part, the South African president expressed his sincere appreciation and gratitude for Egypt's support to his country in various domains during its presidency of the AU, a matter that reflected Egypt's keenness on upholding the common interests of African countries and finding out solutions to crises facing the continent.
They also discussed the developments related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), as President Ramaphosa expressed his appreciation of Egypt's genuine efforts, which he touched within the framework of the tripartite negotiations, which were held under the AU auspices, with the aim of reaching a solution to the issue.
Sisi also expressed his appreciation of President Ramaphosa’s efforts in this context over the past period, stressing that he is looking forward to achieve remarkable progress on this score in the coming period.
He also hoped to cooperate with the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the next chair of the AU, in a way that helps to reach a binding legal agreement that preserves Egypt's rights in the Nile waters.
South Africa is set to conclude its one-year tenure as AU chair at the next AU summit in February 2021.
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