President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with his Sudanese counterpart Omar Al-Bashir at the Presidential Palace on Saturday to discuss bilateral relations, according to a Presidential statement Sunday. Presidents Al-Sisi and Bashir also discussed the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as well as the situations in Libya, Syria, and Iraq as part of the talks. The situation in Libya was given special attention with Al-Sisi stressing Egypt's support for the free-will of the Libyan people and the importance of supporting legitimate institutions, particularly the Libyan National Army. The presidential statement added that "the summit stresses the depth of relations between the two countries, not only by virtue of geographical proximity but also for the historical, cultural and religious ties between the two peoples". The two presidents discussed ways to strengthen economic relations through increased trade between both countries. Egypt occupies fourth place on the list of countries investing in Sudan, with increased investments likely to promote Egypt to second place. The talks were also used to discuss the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project, with both presidents emphasising the Nile River's importance in developing the Nile basin countries. Tripartite talks between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt on the (GERD) ended on Friday where they discussed its potential impacts. They agreed to select a consulting firm to analyse the impact of the dam, as well as a legal firm to follow the financial procedures relating to GERD.
