President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt has declared his country’s enthusiasm to strengthen bilateral relations and consolidate strategic cooperation with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
El-Sisi’s remarks came as he received his DRC counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, at the Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo. This is Tshisekedi’s first official visit to Egypt since his election as President.
According to Egyptian Presidency Spokesperson Bassam Rady, the two presidents held an extended session of bilateral talks, in the presence of delegations from both countries which focused on strengthening relations and cooperation, in order to achieve security and stability in the continent.
President El-Sisi commended the growing relations between Egypt and the DRC on the political, economic, security, and cultural fields, as well as the coordination between both countries in developing the human capacity.
He also stated the importance of developing bilateral cooperation projects, in order to promote trade exchange and investments in various fields.
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President Felix Tshisekedi expressed his country’s appreciation for the distinguished historic relations with Egypt, and the latter’s political support for his country. He also reiterated the DRC’s keenness to develop bilateral relations with Egypt, especially in trade and economic cooperation.
Tshisekedi also praised the contribution made by Egyptian companies in Congo in support of construction, energy, and infrastructure development projects. At the same time, he also expressed the aspiration to increase Egyptian investments in his country, as well as to maximise the technical support provided by Egypt.
DRC’s President highlighted the need to benefit from the Egyptian experience and vision to promote joint African action, in order to address the challenges faced by the continent.
He also noted that this involves intensified cooperation between African countries, as a means of maintaining regional peace and security, and that the Egyptian position in Africa is aimed at achieving stability.
Egyptian Presidency Spokesperson Bassam Rady also said that the meeting tackled the latest regional developments of mutual interest, especially the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Both Presidents agreed to strengthen coordination and joint consultation with the aim of reaching a binding agreement between all parties.
President of the DRC Felix Tshisekedi will be the chair of the African Union (AU) in 2021 succeeding South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
During a joint press conference held to mark Tshisekedi’s visit to Cairo, President El-Sisi said that the discussions tackled strengthened cooperation between the two countries. The focus here is also particularly on water resources and irrigation, in order to maximise the benefits from River Nile resources.
The Egyptian President also emphasised that the River Nile is a source of cooperation and development, and a common lifeline for the people in Nile Basin countries.
