Egypt’s president, Sudan’s PM urge enhancing coordination to activate international mediation over GERD

CAIRO – 11 March 2021: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok agreed on Thursday to intensify coordination with regional and international parties that are planned to mediate the stalled Ethiopian massive dam (GERD) negotiations.

Sisi and Hamdok met in Cairo today, less than a week after the latter made an official visit to Sudan, during which he and the Sudanese leaders expressed rejection of Ethiopian unilateral steps to execute the second phase of dam filling with or without an agreement among the three countries.

Sisi, during the visit, also affirmed backing a Sudanese proposal to form a quartet committee that includes the European Union, the United Nations, the United States and the African Union to mediate the talks.

Ethiopia rejects the proposal.

During their meeting on Thursday, Sisi and Hamdok agreed on “intensifying communications with the regional and international parties to activate the Sudanese proposal to form an international quartet to mediate the talks,” the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.

The two leaders agreed to work on activating the proposal to “help reach a comprehensive and binding legal agreement on the rules of filling and operating the Renaissance Dam before the next rainy season,” the Presidency said.

They also agreed on intensifying Egyptian-Sudanese coordination on the GERD issue during this “current critical stage,” the Presidency added.

 

Sisi, during the meeting, reiterated Egypt’s continuous support to Sudan through cooperation and coordination on all issues of mutual concern. The president highlighted the importance of Hamdok’s current visit to Cairo to follow up on the bilateral relations and ongoing cooperation projects between the two sides.

The meeting was also attended by Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Trade Minister Mohamed Maeet and Chief of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service Abbas Kamel.

The meeting discussed cooperation between Egypt and Sudan in various fields, especially concerning transferring the Egyptian experience of economic reform to Sudan and training the Sudanese cadres.

It also discussed the projects of electricity linkage and rail linkage set to be implemented between the two countries. Officials at the meeting called for boosting trade relations between the two countries and activating joint MoUs and protocols.

Hamdok also held a press conference with Egypt’s prime minister, Madbouli; find more details here.