During the meeting in Cairo, the newly appointed Sudan Foreign Minister Al-Dirdiri Mohamed said that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be holding a meeting in Khartoum in October to discuss several bilateral ties with Sudan.
The visit by the Egyptian Sisi will deal with two important issues between the neighbors. There will be discussion on the ban put by Sudan on Egyptian farm produce in 2017 over alleged use of pesticides. The ban was approved by Sudan’s cabinet to be put on the import of agricultural and animal products from Egypt. It was influenced by the tensions between the two neighbors over the longstanding dispute over contested territory claimed by both countries as theirs.
The bilateral meeting will also include discussion on the contested territory in Egypt’s south claimed by Khartoum as Sudanese.
Another area of conflict is the mega-hydroelectric dam over Nile. Egypt is afraid Sudan will help Ethopia to quickly fill the reservoir behind mega-hydroelectric dam. On the other hand, where Sudan supports the Nile dam project for its electricity need, Cairo is concerned about the possible havoc on its sensitive water supply.
“(Sisi’s) visit will be to partake in the (bilateral) high joint committee and there are a lot of agreements that will be completed,” Al-Dirdiri Mohamed said. He did not give a date for the visit or details of agreements that may be signed.
( Inputs by Reuters)