Joint Sudan-Egypt Committee begins meetings in Khartoum
Aug 15, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Meetings of the Follow-Up and Technical Committee of the Joint Higher Sudanese – Egyptian Committee began Tuesday at the premises of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Khartoum.
The Sudanese side at the committee was chaired by the Minister of International Cooperation, Al-Tigani Salih Fedail, while the Egyptian party was headed by the Minister of International Cooperation, Fayeza Abul-Naja.
Addressing the opening sitting, Fedail affirmed Sudan commitment to the issues which were agreed upon during the past fourth session of the Joint Ministerial Committee in Cairo.
He has reviewed the outcome and recommendations of the fourth session of the Joint Higher Sudanese-Egyptian Committee, which was held in November 2005 in Cairo.
Chairman of the Egyptian side and Minister of International Cooperation, Fayeza Abul-Naja, appreciated at the meeting the accomplishments which were achieved in the past period. She referred to the cooperation between Egypt and Sudan in the fields of electricity power, health and education in South Sudan.
The two parties have expressed their satisfaction over the accomplishments which were made at the level of bilateral cooperation in all domains. The two sides stressed the importance of exerting more efforts and cooperation to meet the aspirations of the two peoples of the Nile Valley.
The outcome of the fourth session of the Joint Higher Committee held in December 2005, includes the signing of 13 documents for cooperation between Sudan and Egypt in the fields of endowments, communication, higher education, scientific research, population, tourism, manpower qualification, youth, sports, administrative development, crisis management, railways, culture, Fatwa (religious ruling), social welfare, health, political, economic, trade, investment, industrial, infrastructures, agricultural, livestock, fisheries, water resources fields.
In July 2004, Sudan and Egypt signed an agreement of the Four Freedoms, which include the freedoms of movement, ownership, work and residence.
The Fifth Session of the Joint Higher Sudanese – Egyptian Committee, is scheduled for next September in Khartoum.
The volume of the trade exchange between Sudan and Egypt amounted to 175 million dollars.
(ST)