Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry will receive, on Sunday, the African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat during the latter’s visit to Cairo.
Shoukry and the AU Commission Chairperson are expected to discuss enhancing cooperation and regional issues of mutual interest, particularly the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), as well as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
The AfCFTA agreement was launched earlier in January, after a delay of several months due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The agreement will open African markets up to Egyptian products, with no customs fees to be applied to these products, Sherif El-Sayyad, Chairperson of the Engineering Export Council of Egypt (EECE), told Daily News Egypt in earlier statements.
It will also help Africa import and export easily more easily, despite it facing some challenges in its implementation. The most important of these has been the linking of African markets with producers across the continent, and linking producers and consumers.
On the GERD dispute, Egypt has repeatedly affirmed it will not compromise or bow down to danger regarding its interests in the River Nile or its water rights. Egypt asserted its commitment to negotiations to reach a fair, balanced, and binding agreement that takes into consideration the interests of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.
After 10 years of talks between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan, on the GERD issue, no agreement has yet been reached. In July 2020, Ethiopia confirmed that its first-year target was reached for filling the mega-dam on the Blue Nile River.
The unilateral operation of Blue Nile dam threatens Egypt’s water resources, by increasing the possibility of food and water shortages, as well as increasing public health risks.
