The Foreign Minister affirms his rejection of unilateral actions in the Eastern Nile Basin.

Dr. Badr Abdel-Aty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, stressed the importance of cooperation and integration in the Nile River to achieve common benefit and mutual interests, and the importance of adhering to the spirit of consensus and brotherhood among our sister countries in the southern Nile Basin to restore inclusiveness to the Nile Basin Initiative and reject unilateral actions in the eastern Nile Basin.

Preserving the interests of all Nile Basin countries

During his meeting with Henry Okello, Ugandan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, the Foreign Minister commended Uganda’s efforts during its chairmanship of the Nile Basin Initiative’s consultative process, and the steps taken and approved by the Initiative’s Ministerial Council to restore inclusiveness and consensus and implement development projects that achieve common interests in accordance with international law to preserve the interests of all Nile Basin countries.

On Sunday, Abdel-Aati, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, received Henry Okello, Ugandan Minister of State for Foreign Relations, on the sidelines of the “Invest in Uganda Forum” event held in Cairo in cooperation between the Ugandan Embassy and the Egyptian-African Businessmen Association.

Minister Abdel-Aty praised the growing momentum in bilateral relations between the two countries, which was reflected in the high-level visits that took place recently, stressing the need to build on the results of the third round of ministerial consultations of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Water Resources and Irrigation held at the beginning of April, in order to contribute to raising political and economic relations between the two countries to broader horizons.

Strengthening trade and economic cooperation

The Foreign Minister also stressed the importance of strengthening trade, economic and investment cooperation between the two countries in various fields, particularly in the infrastructure, energy, agriculture, water resources management and pharmaceutical industries.

In a related context, the two ministers exchanged views on ways to establish stability, security, peace and development in the African continent, particularly in the Horn of Africa, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and the Great Lakes region. The two sides agreed to strengthen coordination within the bilateral and multilateral framework, and to build on the existing political and developmental momentum in a way that serves common interests and contributes to supporting stability and development in the two countries and the African continent.