Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with his counterpart from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, on Tuesday to discuss bilateral relations, regional peace efforts, and cooperation among Nile Basin countries.
Tshisekedi is in Cairo to attend the opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Sisi praised his participation, which he said reflected the deep historical and fraternal relations between the two countries, and said he looked forward to welcoming the Congolese president again for an upcoming bilateral visit.
Sisi affirmed Egypt’s full support for the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a presidency statement said. He stressed Egypt’s continued backing for the U.S.-brokered peace agreement between DR Congo and Rwanda, as well as the Doha track between the Congolese government and the M23 movement.
The two presidents discussed the progress of both the Washington and Doha peace processes and ways Egypt could support their implementation. Sisi expressed Egypt’s readiness to make “all necessary efforts and good offices to bring viewpoints closer, resolve the crisis in Congo, and achieve stability,” based on the distinguished relations Egypt has with these countries.
Tshisekedi expressed his deep appreciation for Egypt’s continuous support and praised the development of bilateral relations in various fields, which he said reflects Egypt’s keenness to support development efforts in Africa, especially in the Nile Basin countries.
Al-Sisi and Tshisekedi also discussed developments related to the Nile River and cooperation among basin countries. They affirmed their shared vision and the necessity of applying the principle of consensus among countries sharing transboundary rivers as a guarantee for achieving common interests without hindering development.
Sisi stressed Egypt’s sincere desire for the success of the consultative process within the framework of the Nile Basin Initiative, describing it as a unifying platform capable of achieving the interests of all basin countries, “away from intransigence or unilateral actions of a political nature.”
The Egyptian president reiterated that his country’s foreign policy is based on principles, values, and respect for international law, and that it does not conspire, threaten, or use force to achieve its interests, but rather aims to achieve stability and peace in friendly countries.
The meeting was also attended by Egypt’s ministers of foreign affairs and water resources, as well as the DR Congo’s minister of culture and its ambassador to Cairo.
