Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi affirmed the strategic and pivotal nature of relations with Sudan during his reception of Sudanese foreign minister el-Dardiri Mohamed Ahmed where the two discussed several issues of mutual concern between Cairo and Khartoum.
During the talks, it was agreed that a joint high level committee headed by President Bashir and Sisi will meet in October, and that a political committee will convene monthly.
Dardiri’s visit to Cairo is his first since officially taking office earlier in May.
Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry and Sudanese ambassador to Cairo Abdel Mahmoud Abdel Halim also attended the meeting.
Presidency Spokesperson Ambassador Bassam Rady said that Dardiri’s selection for Egypt to be his first destination after taking office reflects his country’s keenness on persevering and maintaining strong relations with Egypt at all levels.
During the meeting Sisi hailed the Sudanese-Egyptian relations, hoping that the next period will continue witnessing momentum in the two countries relations at different levels.
Ambassador Radhi said that during the meeting, they discussed means of enhancing bilateral relations and activating aspects of joint cooperation in various fields. A number of regional issues and files of common concern were also reviewed.
Dardiri also met with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry and later held a joint press conference with him, during which Shoukry described the Egyptian- Sudanese relations as “sanctifying.”
This was also confirmed by his Sudanese counterpart, who said that "the relations between the two peoples are a red line."
Shukri pointed out that he agreed to hold a monthly meeting between the two foreign ministers to consult and explore areas of cooperation and remove any obstacles in joint projects and coordination in regional, international and security issues.
The Egyptian FM indicated that they agreed to activate the quartet and military committee and prepare for the summit between Egyptian and Sudanese presidents in Khartoum in October. He stated that his meeting also touched upon the developments in Libya and South Sudan and Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Both officials admitted to the existence of some differences and not disagreements on some issues, and stressed the agreement of both countries in a way that serves the vital relationship.
In turn, the Sudanese foreign minister said that his meeting with Sisi was very warm and cordial, asserting the importance of the special relationship with Egypt.
Asked about the future of the relationship and the negotiations on GERD, the Sudanese minister said this issue is being dealt through the Commission and the meeting of the tripartite summit. He also referred to the 1959 agreement between Egypt and Sudan which determined the relations between the two countries with the downstream states.
The Sudanese official stressed that negotiations have gone a positive way and the remaining obstacles can be overcome through the new negotiation mechanism.
On new agreements during the forthcoming summit between the presidents of Egypt and Sudan, Dardiri explained that previous agreements are being reviewed and once the agreement has been reached, “we will move on to signing more agreements”.
On the issue of the crisis resulting from the television series which Khartoum objected, the Sudanese foreign minister stressed that the relationship of the two people is a red line that should not be crossed.
