The foreign ministers of Egypt and Sudan stressed during a meeting on Friday, which took place on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, that the two countries aim to clear up any "misunderstanding" that has resulted in tensions in recent months. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Sudanese counterpart Ibrahim Ghandour described the relations between the peoples of Egypt and Sudan as being of deeply rooted historical significance, according to Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid. The spokesman said that the two ministers were keen on holding this meeting to emphasise their eagerness to protect these relations against instability and take practical measures to restore them to their normal course. The two FMs also agreed on the need to preserve bilateral relations and refrain from reacting to rumours or misinformation that might harm these ties. Shoukry and Ghandour also stressed the “national responsibility” of the media in both countries and the need to avoid any abuses, stressing their full respect for the political leadership of both countries. The two ministers also discussed the importance of following up on the implementation of the decisions of the joint high committee between the two countries and all related committees. Relations between the two countries have been strained in recent months over Sudan's claims of sovereignty over Egypt's southern Halayeb Triangle region, as well as the Sudanese stance in the talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Following the talks, Shoukry told reporters that the two leaders agreed to work together to clear up any misunderstanding and put bilateral relations on a “trajectory that serves the interests of the peoples” of both countries. Ghandour said that he and Shoukry agreed to work together to put relations back on the right path. "Some differences [of opinion] can occur between neigbours and brothers. Our role is to contain any disagreement that might arise," Ghandour told reporters in a video released by the Egyptian foreign ministry. Sudan recently recalled its ambassador to Egypt for consultations without citing an official reason or revealing when he might return. Khartoum has previously accused Cairo of meddling in Sudan's internal affairs, while Cairo has accused Sudan of harboring Egyptian Islamist extremists that are wanted in Egypt. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said earlier this month that Egypt does not interfere in other countries' affairs, and has no intention of fighting its brothers in Sudan. Shoukry said that he and Ghandour also discussed African issues as well as an expected meeting between the leaders of Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt to discuss the GERD situation. Shoukry has been holding talks with other African counterparts on Thursday and Friday in the Ethiopian capital, including with the FMs of Djibouti, Ivory Coast, Malawi and Kenya.
