In a joint statement, issued on the occasion of President El-Sisi’s official visit to Uganda, the Egyptian and Ugandan presidencies said both leaders also addressed the situations in Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
El-Sisi and Museveni emphasised the importance of adhering to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and independence, in line with the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) charter.
Economic cooperation
During talks in Entebbe, both sides expressed satisfaction with the growing economic relations between the two countries, directing their respective relevant institutions to prioritize trade and investments in high impact sectors.
These sectors include agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, integrated water resources management, and critical infrastructure.
They also emphasized the private sector as the primary driver of economic transformation, welcoming the fruitful outcomes of the Invest in Uganda forum, held in Cairo in April.
El-Sisi and Museveni directed that a Uganda-Egypt Business forum be organized alongside the next Joint Permanent Commission (JMC) in Kampala in August.
Both leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening strategic partnership between both countries, underscoring the importance of continued implementation of existing bilateral agreements, memoranda of understanding, and communiqués.
They directed their respective relevant institutions to operationalize the outcomes of Museveni’s visit to Cairo last August and to expedite negotiations on pending instruments of cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including immigration and labour fields.
Water management
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable water resources management and to strengthening basin-wide cohesion across the Nile Basin through enhanced cooperation.
In this regard, they agreed to advance actions in integrated water resources management, watershed protection, and climate-resilient water infrastructure to ensure reliable river flows for vital human needs, hydropower generation, agriculture, and domestic use.
This, the statement noted, shall take place in consistency with the obligation not to cause significant harm and the principle of equitable and reasonable utilization.
They further stressed the need to promote sustainable hydropower development, attain industrialization and socio-economic transformation, and safeguard the integrity of ecosystems and watersheds that underpin the long-term availability of water resources in the Nile Basin.
In that regard, El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s readiness to finance and mobilize financing to water-related infrastructures on the Nile basin in Uganda, through the Nile Development Fund, to achieve mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
For his part, Museveni expressed appreciation to El-Sisi for Egypt’s continued support to Uganda’s development agenda.
Both sides also welcomed the progress report of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) Special Committee entrusted to engage with the NBI countries that have not ratified the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA).
They reaffirmed their commitment to support the continued engagements aimed at promoting consensus, inclusivity and win-win cooperation amongst the Nile Basin states.
African integration
Recognizing their respective leadership roles within the AU and the Global South, both leaders pledged to work in close coordination to champion African interests on the international stage, including advocating for a more equitable and fair global governance architecture.
This, the statement said, includes the reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), in accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus as well as the reform of the international financial institutions.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation to promote peace, development, and integration, and to achieve the goals set in Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.
This cooperation, the statement added, covers relevant regional, continental and international fora, including the Common Market for East and Southern Africa, the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA), the AU, and the UN.
According to the statement, President El-Sisi congratulated his Ugandan counterpart during the meeting for his victory in the presidential elections.
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