Sudan, Egypt FMs to meet in Cairo this month
August 12, 2018 (KHARTOUM) Diplomatic sources said Sudan and Egypt Foreign Ministers would meet in Cairo at the end of the month to prepare for the meeting of the Egyptian-Sudanese Higher Committee (ESHC), reported Sudan Media Center (SMC) Sunday.
Last June, Egyptian Ambassador to Khartoum Osama Shaltout said the ESHC would meet in October in Khartoum, pointing out that the meeting would be chaired by presidents Omer al-Bashir and Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi.
Meanwhile, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary and head of team for the meeting of the preparatory committee Abdel-Ghani al-Nai’im said the electricity link between the two countries would be completed by the end of the year.
Last month, an Indian company has won a tender to build an electricity interconnection project between Sudan and Egypt.
Egypt’s Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker said the first phase of the project, which covers 95 kilometres within the Egyptian territory would enable Egypt to supply Sudan with 300 megawatts and would be executed within four months at a cost of $60 million.
Al-Nai’im pointed out that the recent meeting of the preparatory committee in Cairo discussed all aspects of diplomatic, security, economic, investment, river transportation, minerals, electricity and agricultural cooperation between the two countries.
It is noteworthy that the meeting asked the two sides to consider about 20 proposed agreements and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed during the ESHC meeting in October.
During a visit of Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to Khartoum last month, the two countries agreed to coordinate efforts to enhance the security of the Red Sea and promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
The tumultuous relations between Sudan and Egypt experienced last December a new crisis over media attacks against al-Bashir after a visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Sudan. Also, Sudan accused Egypt and Eritrea of supporting rebel groups to attack the Kassala state on the eastern border.
However, the two countries recently developed a joint security cooperation against the opposition groups from both sides.
The main differences between the two neighbours remain the dispute over the border triangle area of Halayeb and the construction of Ethiopian Grand Renaissance Dam that Sudan backs.
(ST)