Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Head of Sudan’s ruling council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan have affirmed their adhesion to a legally binding deal on the filling and operations of the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) amid a stretching deadlock in negotiations with Ethiopia over the dam.

According to a Presidency statement on Sunday, both leaders, who are in Paris for a Sudan-focused conference, met to discuss GERD and other regional issues, where they affirmed consensus on the primary importance of the water issue for both nations as a national security issue.

The Paris Conference hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron aims to rally support for the Sudanese government in the transition that followed the 2019 toppling of autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

Khartoum hopes it can secure pledges to pay off arrears owed to the International Monetary Fund and further relief on external debt.

El-Sisi told Al-Burhan said Egypt will contribute in international initiative to settle Sudan’s debts through the utilization of Egypt’s quota at the global lender for doubtful debts to be settled.

Al-Burhan stressed reliance on Egypt’s role in backing Sudanese efforts for debt write-off and rescheduling, and benefitting from the Egyptian expertise in economic reforms.

The meeting also saw an exchange of the latest regional developments of common interest, including the Sudanese-Ethiopian border crisis and other crisis in the region.

Both leaders have agreed to continue intensive consultations and coordination in the coming period to achieve common interests for both countries.