President Abdel Fattah El Sisi said that Egypt is committed to consolidating strategic cooperation with Rwanda, especially at the economic, commercial, security, and military levels.
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He also expressed Egypt's interest in convening the Egyptian-Rwandan joint cooperation committee as soon as possible to further mutual coordination and consultations, and exchange views within the African Union (AU) context.
Sisi was speaking during a meeting with Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame at Al-Ittihadiya Palace in Heliopolis, where they held one-on-one talks followed by expanded discussions between the delegations of both countries, according to Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady.
Commending the historical ties with the sisterly African nation, Sisi said Egypt is keen on meeting Rwanda's development needs, especially in the infrastructure, health, and education sectors, by maximizing investments of the Egyptian companies involved in these sectors and increasing technical support to Rwandan cadres to build their capacities.
Meanwhile, Kagame hailed Egypt's pivotal role in preserving regional peace and security, applauding also the positive stances adopted by Egypt to ensure stability in the Great Lakes, East Africa, and the Nile Basin regions.
The talks also covered a wide range of issues of mutual concern, topped by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) issue, and ways to achieve economic and development integration between Nile basin countries to serve mutual interests and address common challenges, the spokesman noted.
Finally, the two leaders witnessed the inking of several memorandums of understanding (MoU) to promote cooperation in various domains, including diplomatic training, youth and sports, museums, IT, and postal services. ■
Under an intense surge of arctic air, Friday morning will begin with the coldest temperatures so far this season across much of the central and eastern U.S. with blustery conditions and a piercing wind chill.