CAIRO: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has held talks with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame in Cairo.
At a joint press conference, El-Sisi said the talks “dealt with the progress made in various aspects of bilateral relations,” adding that “there are still many opportunities to develop and advance these relations.”
He said: “We agreed to continue the political consultation and coordination that already exists between us, in order to advance bilateral cooperation and coordinate the two countries’ positions on regional issues of common interest.
“We also agreed on the need to raise the rates of trade exchange, which has grown significantly over the past two years despite the pandemic.”
El-Sisi and Kagame witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements and memoranda of understanding between the two countries after their talks.
El-Sisi said they also discussed issues of security and development in Africa, including the spread of terrorism.
He noted Egypt’s establishment of the Sahel and Sahara Counter-terrorism Centre, and praised Rwanda’s efforts in UN peacekeeping operations in Africa.
El-Sisi reiterated the need for a binding legal agreement on filling and operating Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam within an appropriate timeframe, and in a way that enhances regional security and stability based on international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
He stressed “the importance of joint cooperation between all Nile Basin countries out of concern for common interests, not harming any of the basin countries, and Egypt’s rejection of any unilateral measures.”
