President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has stressed the need for reaching a legal and binding agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and urged cooperation among the Nile Basin countries to maintain the common interests of all countries.

Speaking at a press conference after a meeting with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame at the Ittihadiya Palace in Cairo, Sisi said the talks dealt with the progress achieved in various aspects of relations between the two countries.

He also valued Rwanda's development experience.

An agreement was reached on the importance of promoting trade exchange, Sisi said, adding that the meeting also tackled cooperation in the fields of medicine, IT and digital transformation.

President Sisi said that the visit of the Rwandan president to Egypt reflects fraternal ties between the two countries.

During the meeting, Sisi noted that an agreement was reached to continue political consultation and coordination to unify stances on regional issues of common concern.

He also called for making use of the capabilities of both countries to upgrade economic partnerships at the official and unofficial levels.

Sisi further reiterated Egypt's commitment to building the capabilities of Rwandan cadres in various fields in coordination with various Egyptian authorities.

Commenting on the GERD issue, Sisi voiced Egypt’s rejection of any unilateral measure that could jeopardize the interests of any Nile Basin country.

He also called for reaching a binding legal agreement on filling and operating the GERD within a proper timetable in a way that enhances regional security and stability.

According to the president, the meeting tackled the issues of security and development in Africa, topped by terrorism, which constitutes a real challenge to the development efforts in Africa.

He also lauded Rwanda's efforts in the UN peacekeeping operations in Africa.

Sisi voiced Egypt's support for efforts being exerted by Rwanda to reform the African Union.

Speaking about the COP27 conference, slated to be held in November, Sisi said Egypt will reflect the aspirations of the African countries in the climate change field, expressing hope that the conference would result in tangible steps to promote international action on climate change.

For his part, Rwandan President Paul Kagame stressed that no state can confront international crises alone.

He said the coronavirus pandemic reminded all states of the importance of working together more than before.

Kagame said he had talks with Sisi on means of enhancing bilateral ties and furthering partnerships.

He said the cooperation deals signed between the two sides today crowned the deeply-rooted relations between the two countries.

He said cooperation in new scores became inevitable in order to restore economy to the right track, consolidate ability to confront challenges, maximize free trade scores.

He added that promoting economic capabilities would create opportunities for youths, stressing that protecting their future is important for the continent.

At the end of the press conference, Kagame invited Sisi to visit Rwanda again, hailing the last two visits by Sisi. 

MENA