Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has asserted his country’s keenness to strengthen relations and consolidate strategic cooperation with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The President’s remarks came as he received his DRC counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, on Tuesday, at the Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo. This is the DRC President’s first official visit to Egypt since his election as Head-of-State.
According to Egyptian Presidency Spokesperson Bassam Rady, the two presidents held an extended session of bilateral talks, in the presence of delegations from both countries. The discussions focused on strengthening relations and cooperation, in order to achieve security and stability in Africa
President Al-Sisi praised the growing relations between Egypt and the DRC on the political, economic, security, and cultural fields, as well as the coordination between both countries in developing the human capacity.
He also asserted the importance of developing bilateral cooperation projects, in order to promote trade exchange and investments in various fields.
Tshisekedi expressed his country’s appreciation for the distinguished historic relations with Egypt, and the latter’s political support for his country. He asserted the DRC’s keenness to develop bilateral relations with Egypt, especially in trade and economic cooperation.
The DRC President also praised the contribution made by Egyptian companies in Congo in support of construction, energy, and infrastructure development projects. At the same time, he expressed the aspiration to increase Egyptian investments in his country, as well as to maximise the technical support provided by Egypt.
Tshisekedi highlighted the need to benefit from the Egyptian experience and vision to promote joint African action, in order to address the challenges faced by the continent.
He noted that this requires intensified cooperation between African countries, as a means of maintaining regional peace and security, and that the Egyptian position in Africa aimed at achieving stability.
Rady said that the meeting also tackled the latest regional developments of mutual interest, especially the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Both Presidents agreed to strengthen coordination and joint consultation with the aim of reaching a binding agreement between all parties.
President of the DRC Tshisekedi will be the chair of the African Union (AU) in 2021 succeeding South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
During a joint press conference held to mark Tshisekedi’s visit to Cairo, President Al-Sisi said that the discussions tackled strengthened cooperation between the two countries. The focus here is particularly on water resources and irrigation, in order to maximise the benefits from River Nile resources.
The Egyptian President also emphasised that the River Nile is a source of cooperation and development, and a common lifeline for the people in Nile Basin countries.
