Egypt, Sudan points of view in harmony regarding Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam: PM Hamdok

CAIRO – 11 March 2021: Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said that Egypt and Sudan have a common point of view regarding Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam issue, and that the two countries perspectives are in harmony in this matter.

He noted that both sides agree on the quartet mechanism of mediation to include the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN), and the United States.

 

During meeting with Egypt’s Prime Minster Mostafa Madbouly, Thursday in Cairo, both officials discussed several issues of mutual interest including number of important projects that could be established in partnership between the two governments during the coming period.

Hamdok explained that these projects include the electricity power link project, the strategic railways project, the land transportation line, in addition to cooperation projects in the field of higher education, scientific research, health and trade.

Sudan’s PM said that his visit comes as a continuation of the series of continuous visits that took place recently during the past period between officials of the two countries, including President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s visit to Khartoum earlier this week and PM Madbouly’s visit last August.

He noted that these visits reflect the depth of the ties between the two countries, as well as the strength of their relationship.

During the visit, Hamdok met with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi as they agreed on intensifying coordination with regional and international parties that are planned to mediate the stalled Ethiopian massive dam (GERD) negotiations.

Sisi and Hamdok meeting comes within 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.

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.