Sudan’s al-Bashir to visit Egypt on Tuesday: ambassador
November 4, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – President Omer al-Bashir would visit Egypt on Tuesday upon an invitation from his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to participate in the World Youth Forum, said Sudan’s Ambassador to Cairo Abdel-Mahmoud Abdel-Halim.
Egypt is hosting the World Youth Forum for the second consecutive year in Sharm al-Sheikh, from November 3-6. The forum engages youth from around the globe, allowing them to exchange views and recommend initiatives to decision-makers and influential figures.
According to Abdel-Halim, al-Bashir and al-Sisi would hold a closed meeting to discuss the outcome of the Egyptian-Sudanese Higher Committee (ESHC) meeting which was held in Khartoum last in the presence of the Egyptian president.
He added the meeting would also discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries on all fields.
At the end of the ESHC meeting, the two countries signed 12 agreements including the implementation of electricity linkage projects and railways, as well as memorandums of understanding on trade, education, migration, development and media.
Al-Bashir pledged to follow up the implementation of these agreements and improve relations to a level that satisfies the aspirations of the two peoples.
For his part, President al-Sisi said that international trade today encourages the formation of regional economic blocs and called to develop economic relations between the two countries.
Also, following the ESHC meeting, al-Bashir decided to allow the importation of several Egyptian goods, putting an end to a ban imposed two years ago.
During a visit of al-Sisi to Khartoum last August, 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 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)