Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty emphasized to Ugandan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Henry Okello Oryem the need to enhance bilateral cooperation, especially in the economic and trade fields and in joint projects, expressing Egypt’s support for the development process in Uganda and interest in increasing investments and Egyptian companies operating in the Ugandan market.
Talks between both ministers took up a number of issues of mutual interest and promising areas of cooperation between the two countries, including agriculture and modern irrigation methods, the manufacture of medical supplies and medicines, construction and development, food industries, new and renewable energy, the transfer of Egyptian expertise in the electricity sector, combating harmful weeds in Lake Victoria and the Ugandan lakes, the manufacture of human and animal vaccines and various industrial domains.
The two sides agreed to hold joint political consultations at the level of foreign ministers as soon as possible to address priority issues at the bilateral and regional levels, with the participation of the Ugandan ministers of water, environment and trade.
Discussions also dwelt on water security and cooperation with regard to the management and development of water resources, as well as the necessity of studying joint projects that benefit all the countries of the Southern Nile Basin, with Abdelatty stressing that the issue of water security is an existential issue for Egypt and that cooperation on this file must be based on international law, especially the principles of consensus, non-harm and prior notification.
The two top diplomats discussed in detail a number of regional issues and the role of the two sisterly countries in reaching peaceful solutions to existing disputes, especially in Sudan, Somalia and the Horn of Africa region, with Abdeatty affirming the importance of providing full support to the Somali state and its national institutions and preserving Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.
