Egypt’s Sisi pledges to develop political and economic relations with Sudan
September 18, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has reiterated his support to Sudan’s stability and vowed to strengthen bilateral cooperation with the neighbouring country when he received Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok.
Hamdok arrived in Cairo on Wednesday in his second foreign trip after taking office in the transitional government after his two-day trip to Juba.
Hamdok and al-Sisi in Cairo discussed means to support and strengthen cooperation and promote strategic projects between the two countries, Sudan’s Foreign Minister Asma Abdallah said on Wednesday after the meeting.
“The two leaders discussed many issues including Sudan’s removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, writing off the country’s foreign debts, besides seeking to achieve comprehensive peace across the country,” SUNA quoted the minister as saying.
Hamdok was received at the Cairo international airport on Wednesday by Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly before to head to the Egyptian presidency.
For his part, Egypt Presidency Spokesman Bassam Rady said that al-Sisi asserted Egypt’s support for Sudan’s security, stability and its people’s choices, adding that Cairo will offer all support to accelerate joint development projects such as the electricity grid and railways.
“The president praised Sudan’s success in overcoming this critical phase in its history and voiced hope that the country would begin serious steps toward reaching the aspirations and hopes of the people for development,” Rady said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The president reaffirmed Egypt’s full support for the security and stability of Sudan and its support for the will and choices of the Sudanese people in shaping the future of their country,” and expressed willingness to provide all means of support to the brothers in Sudan in this regard.
Also, al-Sisi further pledged to ensure the quick implementation of joint development projects, especially the electrical connection and the railway line, Rady said.
For his part, Sudan’s Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Badawi said that Egypt has expressed readiness to use its regional and international relations to support Sudanese efforts for its removal from the terror list and to write off its foreign debt.
In addition, he said that Hamdok and Madbouly in a separate meeting at the premises of Egyptian Council of Minister tackled various issues particularly the electricity connection projects.
They further agreed to hold further meetings to discuss agriculture, electricity and reactivation of previous agreements signed between the two countries, besides establishing strategic economic relations, al-Badawi added.
After December revolution’s Sudanese and Egyptian officials vowed to bring the relationship between the countries back to the time before al-Bashir’s regime.
(ST)