Egypt and Guinea are exploring expanding cooperation in areas of parliamentary expertise exchange.

Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:

Dr. Dansa Koroma, President of the National Assembly, received (ParliamentIn the Republic of Guinea, Ambassador Mohamed El-Halawany, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Republic of Guinea, conveyed to him the congratulations of the Egyptian leadership on the occasion of his election as Speaker of Parliament, stressing Cairo’s keenness to continue strengthening bilateral relations with Guinea.

Strengthening coordination between the two legislative institutions

The meeting witnessed discussions on ways to support parliamentary cooperation between the two countries, as both sides emphasized the depth of the historical relations that unite Egypt and Guinea, and the importance of strengthening coordination between the two legislative institutions in a way that serves the common interests of the two peoples.

Exchange of parliamentary experiences

The two sides discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in the areas of exchanging parliamentary expertise, sending delegations, and developing new institutional partnerships, while emphasizing the pivotal role of parliamentary diplomacy in promoting rapprochement between peoples and supporting development efforts.

The Speaker of the Guinean Parliament expressed his eagerness to accept the official invitation extended to him to visit the Egyptian House of Representatives, considering the visit an opportunity to deepen cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries and open new horizons for partnership.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the President of the National Assembly of Guinea expressed his appreciation to Egypt for this initiative, stressing the Guinean Parliament’s commitment to continue working to strengthen bilateral relations, reflecting the mutual respect, historical cooperation, and common interests that unite the two countries.

In another development, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea signed an agreement on Tuesday ending a decades-long dispute over three small islands in potentially oil-rich waters, after the United Nations' highest court upheld Malabo Island.

The two West African nations have been disputing over the 30-hectare island of Mbane and two small, low-lying islands, Kokoteres and Konga, since the early 1970s.

A ruling that serves the interests of Equatorial Guinea

In May of last year, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which adjudicates disputes between states, ruled in favor of Equatorial Guinea. .

At a ceremony held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Equatorial Guinea's Foreign Minister Simeon Oyono Esono Angue and Gabon's Constitutional Council President Dieudonné Abba Ono signed the agreement obligating both countries to respect the International Court of Justice's decision.

The Equatorial Guinean minister said: “This matter has been definitively settled,” adding that the two countries must now “move forward.”.

Abba Ono said the agreement opened “a new era of cooperation with Equatorial Guinea.”.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who also signed the agreement, welcomed the resolution of the border dispute, which he said had gone on for far too long.