Egypt and US reaffirm strategic partnership at Africa summit in Washington
On the sidelines of the Africa Summit in Washington, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), one of the most ambitious projects of its kind in the world. This project - one of the most ambitious in Africa - has provoked disagreements between several African countries along the Nile River. Both Egypt and Sudan have accused Ethiopia of threatening their water reserves.
During the meeting, Al-Sisi stressed Egypt's commitment to "the principles of international law", as well as the need to create "a binding legal agreement" to preserve Egypt's water security and not harm the flow of Nile waters, according to Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Essam Rady.
According to Rady on his official Facebook page, both Blinken and Al-Sisi "expressed their mutual enthusiasm to strengthen and deepen the strategic partnership, which represents an important pillar for maintaining security and stability in the Middle East region". They also hoped to "increase coordination and joint meetings in the future on various political and security issues of common interest".
Blinken underscored Washington's commitment to "the strategic partnership between the United States and Egypt" and "decades-long bilateral defence ties," according to a statement from State Department spokesman Ned Price.
In the statement, Prince also said that Blinken praised "Egypt's success in hosting COP27" and its "important role in promoting stability in the region". On the issue of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Blinken stressed the need for a diplomatic solution that protects the interests of all parties involved.
During his stay in Washington, Al-Sisi also met with members of the Friends of Egypt group in the US Congress, where he stressed the relevance of the strategic ties between Cairo and Washington over the years. He called for strengthening bilateral relations in all areas, especially in addressing regional challenges such as the threat of terrorism.
#Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi meets with #US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon, Washington D.C on sidelines of US Africa Summit#USAfricaSummit22 pic.twitter.com/k4ftRhK0wq
— Daily News Egypt (@DailyNewsEgypt) December 15, 2022
The Friends of Egypt called the Arab country "a pillar of security and stability in the Middle East" as well as "a key partner of the United States in the region". They recalled the Egyptian government's fight against terrorism and extremism, as well as its commitment to religious freedom and tolerance. At the regional level, they also praised Egypt's role in the Palestinian cause.
The Egyptian president's visit to the US also included a meeting at the Pentagon with Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd, with whom he agreed to "continue to strengthen bilateral military relations". Al-Sisi and Lloyd discussed peace and security in the Middle East and Africa. In this regard, the US Secretary of Defence thanked Al-Sisi for his personal efforts to achieve stability in the region.
On the occasion of the Africa-US summit, Al-Sisi highlighted the main concerns and challenges facing the continent's countries, such as the food crisis and the integration of African markets into the world economy.
The Egyptian community in the #US gather in front of the residence of President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi in Washington, to welcome him upon his arrival in the US capital to participate in US-Africa Leaders’ Summit.#Egypt #USAfricaLeadersSummit22 #USAfricaLeadersSummit pic.twitter.com/OrCQ5RzwIh
— Daily News Egypt (@DailyNewsEgypt) December 14, 2022
This summit, the first since 2014, brought together almost fifty African leaders in the US capital. With this meeting, Joe Biden's government is trying to confront and counteract the growing Russian and Chinese influence in Africa. Moscow has important military and defence agreements with several African countries, while the Asian giant is Africa's most important trading partner, displacing former European colonial powers and the United States.
With the aim of strengthening ties between Washington and African countries, Biden announced an agreement aimed at boosting trade cooperation. "The United States is betting on the future in Africa", the president declared at the summit.
President Joe Biden announced an agreement aimed at bolstering trade ties between the United States and Africa after years in which the continent took a back seat to other U.S. priorities as China made inroads with investments and trade https://t.co/xFUuBm1ap6 pic.twitter.com/ZpxzLdLV14
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 15, 2022
As reported by Reuters, Biden said a new agreement with the African Continental Free Trade Area would give US companies such as General Electric Co (GE.N) and Cisco System Inc (CSCO.O) access to a market of 1.3 billion people. "When Africa succeeds, America succeeds," he added.
It was a great honor to watch today’s World Cup match alongside Prime Minister Akhannouch of Morocco.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 14, 2022
No matter who you’re rooting for, it was remarkable to watch how much this team has been able to achieve. pic.twitter.com/5kC4zkT1HQ
Biden met with the presidents of Gabon, Liberia and other African countries that will hold elections next year to discuss democratic principles. Later, after addressing the summit, Biden watched the World Cup semi-final match between Morocco - the first African and Arab country to make it this far in the competition - and France with Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.
America Coordinator: José Antonio Sierra
