Egyptian prime minister visits Juba Wednesday
March 12, 2013 (JUBA) – The Egyptian prime minister, Hesham Qandil, is expected to pay a visit to the South Sudan’s capital, Juba, on Wednesday, leading a high-powered government delegation from Cairo to hold bilateral talks with the leadership of the new independent state.
Prime Minister Qandil will be accompanied by the Egyptian foreign minister and many other key ministers in the government. A number of top Egyptian billionaires and business people are expected to be part of the incoming delegation.
The two governments are also expected to initiate a bilateral cooperation agreement with subsequent memorandums of understanding covering various sectors of development and private investment.
The Arab Republic of Egypt was one of the first countries in the region to recognize the independence of South Sudan in July 2011 which resulted from the outcome of the referendum on self-determination.
The two states have since exchanged diplomatic missions with each opening an embassy and assigning an ambassador in the other country.
South Sudan has embarked on attracting foreign investment, promoting bilateral cooperation and diplomatic relations with all countries in the world.
The country’s vice-president, Riek Machar, is also expected to lead a high-level delegation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week and participate in a conference in Dubai which will discuss priority development projects seeking investment in South Sudan.
(ST)