Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call on Thursday from German Chancellor Angela Markel to discuss the latest development of international efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus, as well as other regional issues including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the situation in Libya. The Egyptian president expressed the solidarity of the Egyptian government and people with the friendly people of Germany in such circumstances, affirming Egypt's keenness to exchange expertise and enhance cooperation between healthcare facilities in both countries within the international framework of combating the spread of the coronavirus. Germany has recorded more than 12,000 coronavirus infections, with the latest 3,000 cases registered in the past 24 hours, and 43 deaths. Egypt has confirmed six virus deaths out of a total 210 infections recorded until Thursday. "The German chancellor showed appreciation for Egypt's support for Germany, which reflects the strength of ties between both countries, noting the importance of enhancing joint cooperation between Egyptian and German authorities within the international efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus", Egypt's Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady said. The two leaders also exchanged points of view on regional files of mutual concerns, including the current situation in Libya in light of the outcome of the Berlin Conference. "El-Sisi and Merkel also discussed the latest developments in the GERD file within the outcome of the recent Washington talks and Egypt's signing of the agreement in Washington in February," the spokesperson added. Addis Ababa did not attend the last round of US-sponsored talks on the dam in February, citing the need for more time for further domestic consultations.
Only Egypt has initialed the resulting agreement, drafted by the US, on the filling and operation of the dam, with Ethiopia and Sudan both declining to sign it.
Over the past weeks, Egyptian officials have delivered messages on developments related to the GERD to Gulf and European partners, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France and the European Union, in an attempt to seek support.
