Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Tanzanian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo held talks on Saturday, rejecting unilateral measures on the Nile River and emphasizing the importance of cooperation among Nile Basin countries. Abdelatty stressed the need for an inclusive Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) to secure mutual benefits and interests. The talks took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Abdelatty and Kombo called for upholding consensus and fraternity to restore the NBI's inclusive character. They welcomed positive developments in the NBI consultative process aimed at bringing all basin countries together in accordance with international law. This position echoes their bilateral consultations in May, where they emphasized cooperation on the Nile and rejected unilateral steps.
The ministers also discussed growing momentum in bilateral relations, highlighted by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's visit to Tanzania in July and Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly's participation in the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station and Dam's inauguration in August. The dam, implemented by an Egyptian consortium, has a generation capacity of 2,115 megawatts and is seen as a model of Egypt-Tanzania strategic development partnership.
The Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station and Dam is a significant project for Tanzania's energy sector. Egypt and Tanzania view it as a symbol of their cooperation and development partnership. The project was formally inaugurated in August, with Prime Minister Madbouly attending the ceremony.
Abdelatty invited Tanzania to participate in the Alamein Africa Forum, scheduled for October 2-4 in New Alamein. The forum will take place on the sidelines of the African Union's eighth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting. This invitation was also extended by President El-Sisi during a recent call with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Egypt and Tanzania have been strengthening their bilateral relations in recent months. President El-Sisi and President Hassan have discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries. The growing ties between Egypt and Tanzania are seen as a positive development in the region.
The meeting between Abdelatty and Kombo reflects the commitment of both countries to cooperation and mutual understanding. Egypt and Tanzania have emphasized the importance of working together to address regional challenges. The two countries will continue to engage in dialogue to promote peace and stability in the region.
Key points
- Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty rejects unilateral Nile measures in talks with Tanzanian counterpart.
- Egypt and Tanzania emphasize cooperation on the Nile River and stress the importance of an inclusive Nile Basin Initiative.
- The two countries view the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Station and Dam as a model of their strategic development partnership.
