Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry met with his Finish counterpart Pekka Haavisto, on Sunday, to discuss the latest developments in the Horn of Africa.
The ministerial meeting, which took place by telephone, focused particularly on developments related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Ahmed Hafez, Spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Shoukry indicated Egypt’s hopes for the success of the African Union (AU) efforts in managing the file on the Ethiopian dam.
He added that negotiations between the three countries directly affected by the dam, namely Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan, have yet to produce tangible or the desired results.
Hafez highlighted that Egypt is looking forward to the resumption of negotiations in light of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) taking over of the AU presidency.
He added that Shoukry stressed the need to reach a binding legal agreement before implementing the second stage of filling. This would take place by launching a serious negotiation process, taking into account the interests of the three countries.
At the same time, Hafez highlighted that the Egyptian state has expressed its pure political will to reach a fair and balanced agreement that achieves Ethiopia’s goals and preserve Egypt’s rights.
Shoukry also received a phone call from Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Alpha Bari, to discuss prospects for cooperation between the two countries, as well as regional and continental issues of mutual interest.
Hafez said that Shoukry congratulated Bari on his election as a Member of Parliament (MP), and his continuation in the ministerial position, which he has occupied since President Roch Marc Christian Kabore came to power.
Shoukry also affirmed Egypt’s keenness to support cooperation with Burkino Faso in all fields, such as security, health, agriculture, and energy.
He reviewed Egypt’s integrated efforts and the assistance it provide to build Burkina Faso’s capacity through training courses offered through the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development.
Hafez added that the two ministers exchanged views on the latest developments at the level of the African continent, as they stressed the importance of continuing coordination and consultation between them during the next phase.
