The Presidency
Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with the President of the Republic of Burundi and the current Chairperson of the African Union, President Évariste Ndayishimiye, on the sidelines of the Alamein Africa Business Forum, being held in New Alamein City.
Spokesman for the Presidency Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, stated that President El-Sisi welcomed the Burundian President’s visit to Egypt, commending the efforts of Burundi’s current AU chairmanship, as well as President Ndayishimiye’s sincere endeavors and wise leadership in strengthening cooperation and integration among African countries and advancing the implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
The President also affirmed Egypt’s keenness to continue coordination and consultation with Burundi and to support the African Union’s role in resolving conflicts and crises within the continent through peaceful means, thereby contributing to promoting stability and fulfilling the aspirations of African peoples for development and prosperity.
The meeting discussed ways to boost bilateral relations between Egypt and Burundi. President El-Sisi emphasized Egypt’s keenness to further elevate economic and development cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the fields of infrastructure, agriculture, irrigation, water resources, energy, healthcare, and capacity building. The President also stressed the importance of leveraging the expertise and capabilities of Egyptian companies to execute development projects in Burundi, serving the mutual interests of both brotherly peoples and supporting economic and social development efforts.
For his part, the Burundian President expressed his aspiration to convene the joint committee between the two countries and his appreciation for the remarkable progress in bilateral relations. He also praised President El-Sisi’s readiness to strengthen cooperation and benefit from Egyptian expertise in various development fields. He further lauded Egypt’s active role in supporting development efforts and consolidating peace and security in the African continent, affirming his country’s keenness to maintain close coordination and consultation with Egypt within the framework of the African Union and on issues of mutual interest.
The two presidents also reviewed the latest developments concerning the Nile water issue. President El-Sisi reiterated the importance of strengthening cooperation among the Nile Basin countries on the basis of achieving shared interests and causing no harm to any of the basin countries. The President highlighted the constants of Egypt’s stance, including safeguarding Egypt’s water rights and interests, as an existential issue for the Egyptian people.
President El-Sisi also underscored Egypt’s support for development efforts across the Nile Basin countries, warning of the risks of unilateral measures that infringe upon the water interests of basin states, and reaffirming Egypt’s rejection of using the Nile water issue to achieve political gains.
For his part, the Burundian President asserted his country’s full understanding of Egypt’s concerns regarding the Nile water issue, recognizing that water is a matter of life and existence for Egypt. He stressed that development cannot be achieved at the expense of human lives, and affirmed Burundi’s commitment to consolidating the principles of cooperation, consultation, and consensus among the basin countries to achieve mutual interests, promote the optimal use of shared water resources, and contribute to supporting stability and development for the peoples of the region.
The Burundian President extended an invitation to President El-Sisi to visit Bujumbura, an invitation that the President welcomed.
