El-Sisi to the President of South Africa: Nile water is an existential problem for Egypt and its people

On Saturday, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call from Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa.

Ambassador Bassam Radi, spokesman for the Presidency of the Republic, said that the call was about discussions and exchange of views on developments on the Renaissance dam issue in the framework of the relevant tripartite negotiations under the auspices of the African Union headed by South Africa.

The president reaffirmed the constants of Egypt’s position on the inevitability of formulating a binding legal agreement that includes the three countries and preserves Egypt’s water rights by defining the rules for the filling and operation of the dam, in the context of what the waters of the Nile represent an existential problem for Egypt and its people, expressing its sincere appreciation for the efforts of President Ramaphosa in this regard. Context.

President Ramaphosa expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s efforts in the framework of the negotiations with a view to reaching a solution to the problem, highlighting the continuation of intensive coordination between the two countries during the next period to work towards a fair agreement and balanced on this vital issue.

The call also addressed some issues of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, as the two presidents affirmed their aspiration to exploit the broad prospects for strengthening fraternal relations between Egypt and South Africa at the bilateral level, as well as at the continental and international level, given that the two countries carry significant political weight that serves African interests as a whole.